Everyone knows that cotton is very warm when used to make quilts and cotton clothes. Although there are many new warm items, such as down, duck down, rayon and wool products, the natural warmth of cotton cannot be replaced by other items. So, is cotton really a flower?
Cotton is a shrub-like crop. What we usually say of cotton is not a flower of cotton, but a kind of plant fiber wrapped around cotton seeds.
In China, cotton can grow up to 1.5 meters high, while tropical cotton varieties can grow up to 6 meters high. The two-story cotton is like a small tree. Cotton flowers are milky white at first, and then gradually change to yellow and shades of red. In areas where cotton is widely planted, large swaths of cotton bloom together spectacularly.
When the cotton flowers wither, small green capsules are left behind, which is commonly known as cotton bolls. The cotton boll is wrapped in cotton seeds—cotton seeds. The epidermis of cottonseed will grow some small hairs. As time goes by, the cotton bolls will grow up, and these small hairy fibers will fill the inside of the cotton bolls.
After the cottonseed matures, this fluffy fiber will become more and more, and finally the cotton boll will be broken. This fluffy fiber is what we often call cotton. In fact, cotton is a plant fiber that grows from cotton seeds to protect itself. Most cotton is white or cream yellow.
Plant fibers are reflected in many plants, such as hemp and bamboo. This kind of plant fiber is extremely common in modern life applications. Items made of plant fibers are popular nowadays because of the comfort of fibers and the better reflection of the concept of environmental protection.
In order to increase the yield of cotton, scientists have carried out hybridization and genetic modification of cotton. Now the colors of cotton have become multiplexed, and many colored cottons have appeared. Many close-fitting underwear on the market are made of colored cotton, because they do not require post-dying and are more environmentally friendly and healthy.
