Cotton has been used as a fabric in India from time immemorial. It has been cultivated in the Indus valley more than 5000 years. India appears to have been the centre of an important cotton industry as early as 1500 BC. The cultivation of cotton spread from India to Egypt and to Spain and Italy. There are 20 species of cotton including wild as well as cultivated. The cultivated species have spinable lint while wild species have only short fuzz or smooth seeds. Out of 20 species, 16 species are wild and only 4 are cultivated.

Gossypium arboreum L.This species covers 29 % of the total acreage of cotton in the country. It is a desi cotton (n=13).
Gossypium herbaceum L. This species covers 21 % of the total acreage of cotton in the country. This species is known as desi cotton (n=13).
Gossypium hirsutum L. This species cover 50 % of the total acreage of cotton and it is known as American cotton (n=26)
Gossypium barbadense L. Area under this species is very less only few thousands hectares). This species is perennial type cotton. It is also a American cotton (n=26)