A small tree to 5 m in height and 15 cm in stem diameter. The plant is deeply rooted with a taproot and laterals. The bark is gray and smooth, but tough and stringy. The stem wood of older plants is of medium density and brittle. The twigs are relatively stout. The leaves on young plants are usually without lobes; older plants usually have three lobes or occasionally are deeply incised with five lobes. The light green leaves have petioles 3 to 8 cm long and blades 10 to 15 by 12 to 15 cm. Bracteoles are pointed and may have one to seven or more teeth. The flowers of wild cotton are large and showy with cream to pale yellow petals, sometimes with a red spot at the base of the petals. The capsules have three to five valves with a smooth surface and many black gland dots and yield white or brown lint with seeds embedded. The seeds vary from black and smooth to green with tightly adhering fuzz.

Abortifacient, aphrodisiac, astringent, contraceptive, cytostat, diuretic, emmenagogue, emollient, hemostat, hypercholesterolemic, hypertriglyceridemic, hypocholesterolemic, lactagogue. oxytocic, uterotonic and vasoconstrictor.

USDA Forest Service International Institute of Tropical Forestry

The leaves, roots and seeds are useful for treating asthma, snake bitess, bleeding, bronchosis, abdominal cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, nasal cancer, uterine cancer, colds, constipation, cough, cramps, cystosis, diarrhea, dysentery, dyslactea, dysuria, earache, enterosis, epilepsy, fever, fibroids, gonorrhea, headache, hemorrhoids, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, hypochondria, inflammations, laryngosis, pains, polyps, pulmonosis, rheumatism, snakebites, tumor, uterosis, UTI and water retention.

James A Duke and Maryl Fulton. Handbook of Medicinal Herbs - 2nd Edition, P: 745, CRC Press July 2002.