The scientific name for Wild Cotton is Gossypium herbaceum. The Genus name Gossypium is from the Arabic word “goz” which means soft substance. Gossypium is Latin for “cotton” and herbaceum means herbaceous. This shrub is endemic to South Africa, occurring in Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal, and widely distributed through the subtropical regions of Africa. The Wild Cotton shrub has many different uses across the continent. In Ethiopia it is used as a treatment against snakebites. In Somalia the juice of the heated unripe fruit is dropped down into the ear to treat ear ache. In Namibia powdered root bark is used as a haemostatic (to prevent and stop bleeding). A root maceration is given to newborn babies and sick children to strengthen them in Senegal. Root preparations are also used for treatment of heart palpitations.
