Table 1 Taxonomic, cytogenetic and geographic diversity of species of Gossypium. Included are descriptions are each genome group and the collective geographic distribution of the included species. Genomic placements and taxonomic status of species enclosed by parentheses remain to be established as they are poorly known

A

2

G. arboreum, G. herbaceum

Wild forms known only from Southern Africa, but with an indigenous domesticated range encompassing parts of Africa, the middle east, and Asia

B

3–4

G. anomalum, G. triphyllum, G. capitis-viridis, (G. trifurcatum)

Africa, Cape Verde Islands

C

2

G. sturtianum, G. robinsonii

Central and Western Australia

D

13–14

G. thurberi, G. armourianum, G. harknessii, G. davidsonii, G. klotzschianum, G. aridum, G. raimondii, G. gossypioides, G. lobatum, G. trilobum, G. laxum, G. turneri, G. schwendimanii, (G. sp.nov.)

Primarily Mexico, with range extensions into Peru, the Galapagos Islands, and southern Arizona

E

5–9

G. stocksii, G. somalense, G. areysianum, G. incanum, G. trifurcatum, (G. benidirense), (G. bricchettii), (G. vollesenii), (G. trifurcatum)

Poorly understood native ranges of many species, but collectively in parts of the Arabian Peninsula, Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia

F

1

G. longicalyx

Endemic to East Africa

G

3

G. bickii, G. australe, G. nelsonii

Central Australia

K

12

G. anapoides, G. costulatum, G. cunninghamii, G. enthyle, G. exiguum, G. londonderriense, G. marchantii, G. nobile, G. pilosum, G. populifolium, G. pulchellum, G. rotundifolium

Northwest Australia, Cobourg Peninsula, Northern Territory, Australia

AD

7

G. hirsutum, G. barbadense, G. tomentosum, G. mustelinum, G. darwinii, G. ekmanianum, G. stephensii

Wild species are from the New World tropics and subtropics, including Hawaii, NE Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and the Galapagos Islands. A recently described species (G. stephensii) is from the Wake Atoll near French Polynesia. The indigenous cultivated range of the two domesticated species G. barbadense and G. hirsutum encompasses many parts of the drier New World tropics and subtropics, with overlapping ranges in the Caribbean and elsewhere