Question

The surface fibers for commercial use are obtained from
A) Gossypium
B) Agave
C) Helianthus
D) Solanum

Answer 1

Hint: This plant is native to the semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa and Arabia where it grows in the wild as a perennial shrub commonly known as Levant cotton.

Complete answer:
Gossypium herbaceum, commonly known as Levant cotton, is a species that produces surface fibers known as cotton that are used commercially.

Fig: Gossypium herbaceum
They have small and yellow flowers with a purple center. On ripening in warm weather, the flower capsule bursts and exposes the cotton surrounded by the seeds firmly. The cotton produced is short {~ 2 inches (5.1 cm)} long covered in hairy down. These surface fibers produced by Gossypium herbaceum are used commercially in textiles, explosives, rayon, and plastic industry extensively.

Additional Information:
The fibers produced by Agave are rigid and coarse. For application in textile fabrics and garments, these need to be blended with a softer yarn. Thus, they are of no commercial importance to date.
Helianthus commonly known as the sunflower is valuable from an economic and ornamental point of view because the leaves are used as fodder, the flowers give a yellow dye, and the seeds contain oil and are used for cooking food. This species does not produce surface fibers.
Solanum is a diverse group of flowering plants. The common species are potato, tomato, and eggplant. They are known for their ornamental flowers and fruits. This species does not produce surface fibers.

So, the correct answer is ‘Gossypium’.

Note: - The surface fiber of Gossypium known as cotton is almost pure cellulose.
- These are dispersed as cotton balls.
- Cotton is absorbent, soft, and light in weight.