''Gossypium tomentosum'', commonly known as ''mao'', ''huluhulu'' or Hawaiian cotton, is a species of

cotton plant ''Gossypium'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Gossypieae of the mallow family, Malvaceae, from which cotton is harvested. It is native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Old and New Worlds. There are about 50 ''Gossypiu ...

that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to the

Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost ...

. It inhabits low shrublands at elevations from sea level to . ''Mao'' is a

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from tree ...

that reaches a height of and a diameter of . The seed hairs (lint) are short and reddish brown, unsuitable for spinning or twisting into thread. Genetic studies indicate that Hawaiian cotton is related to American species of ''Gossypium'', with its closest relative '' Gossypium hirsutum''. Its ancestor may have come to the islands from the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America, North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. ...

as a seed on the wind or in the droppings of a bird, or as part of floating debris.

Native Hawaiians Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, First Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians) ( haw, kānaka, , , and ), are the indigenous ethnic group of Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawa ...

use ''mao'' flowers to make a yellow dye.

References

External links

''Gossypium tomentosum'' (ma'o) information
from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR)
''Gossypium tomentosum'' (ma'o) images
from Forest & Kim Starr tomentosum Plants described in 1865 Endemic flora of Hawaii Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Gossypieae-stub