South American species, Gossypium hirsutum. One kilogram of cotton consists of
approximately 200 million seed hairs. Exploration of Asia, and later South
America, introduced the fine qualities of cotton to Europe during the 15th
century after which it became much sought after in Europe where there were
only coarser fabrics. The huge plantations of cotton, particularly those involving
slavery in the southern USA, made Liverpool the richest port of Europe and
most northern English towns rich through manufacture of cotton clothing. The
serious inequalities that developed between northern American states that
marketed and exported cotton and southern states that grew it, was one of the
major factors leading to the American civil war.
Kapokfiber derives, like cotton, from seed appendages and was used as light
stuffing for mattresses and life jackets. It comes from a giant forest tree, Ceiba
pentandra, of the Bombacaceae, related to the cotton family. Nylonand other
‘artificial’ fabrics derive from oil, itself derived from fossil plants.N2 – Plants for construction 235