Standardized Descriptors and Rating Scale used for the National Cotton Germplasm Collection

Data provided by USDA-ARS College Station, TX, USA, Nov. 2014, updated May 2017, updated February 2021.
*font green indicates the descriptor has panel image available (to view the panel image, click on the descriptor's name).

Descriptor Description Code or Rating Scale
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Boll Color*   green dark green light green red sun red       seg/off type
Boll Glanding glandless medium light heavy           seg/off type
Boll Nectaries absent present reduced inactive           seg/off type
Boll Pitting   smooth light pitted pitted very pitted         seg/off type
Boll Point   Moderately pointed pointed blunt           seg/off type
Boll Shape   Oval round cone cone-oval         seg/off type
Boll Size   medium large small extra small         seg/off type
Boll Variation   more glands on abscission zone glandless seed glanded seed double boll stormproof boll       seg/off type
Bract Color   green red sun red           seg/off type
Bract Nectaries absent present reduced inactive           seg/off type
Bract Size   small medium large           seg/off type
Bract Teeth Number   medium many few           seg/off type
Bract Teeth Size none medium small large           seg/off type
Bract Type   normal frego flared recurved         seg/off type
Canopy Type   typical open dense compact         seg/off type
Ease of Germination   Easy, direct sow Easy, direct sow, but low germ rate Requires scarification Requires scarification, but low germ rate Hot water priming Advanced techniques      
Fruiting Type   normal cluster short branch           seg/off type
Growth Habit   normal spreading prostrate pyramid stovepipe       seg/off type
Hair Variation   greater hair density on younger leaves greater hair density on leaf petiole greater hair density on stem cluster type of leaf hair pilose leaf character, but density is low pilose, but density is moderately hairy pilose, but density is hairy pilose, but density is very hairy  
Height (average) for the plot   <1' prostrate 1-2' dwarf 2-3' short 3-4' medium 4-5' med-tall 5-6' tall 6-7' very-tall >7' super-tall seg/off type
Leaf Color   green red dark red bronze light green virescent     seg/off type
Leaf Glands glandless medium light heavy           seg/off type
Leaf Hairs   none few moderate hairy very hairy pilose     seg/off type
Leaf Laciniate   laciniate, but normal leaf shape laciniate, but sub okra leaf shape laciniate, but okra leaf shape laciniate, but super okra leaf shape         seg/off type
Leaf Nectaries Number absent nectar glands only seen on the main vein of underside of leaves nectar glands found on main vein and on one of the other veins of underside of leaves nectar glands found on main vein and two other veins on undersides of leaves nectar glands found on the main vein and three more veins on undersides of the leaves nectar glands found on the main vein and four more veins on undersides of the leaves reduced (nectar gland barely noticeable on main vein)     seg/off type
Leaf Shape   normal okra sub okra super okra laciniate ovate cordate   seg/off type
Leaf Size   medium small large extra small         seg/off type
Lint Color no lint white cream brown green tan rust off white   seg/off type
Locule #   one two three four five > five     seg/off type
Maturity   not flowering flowering < 1/2 open > 1/2 open complete       seg/off type
Nectary Variation   double bract nect long middle nectary red spot leaf nectary red spot bract nectary red spot boll nectary       seg/off type
Petal Color   cream yellow light yellow red white light blue golden pink seg/off type
Petal Spot none light medium heavy           seg/off type
Photoperiodic Rating no squares squares flowers bolls open bolls         seg/off type
Plot Uniformity   mix outcross segragation uniform volunteer       seg/off type
Pollen Color   yellow cream -- dark yellow orange       seg/off type
Productivity none < 12/plant 13-24/plant 25-36/plant 37-48/plant >48/plant       seg/off type
Seed Fuzz none medium high sparse tufted         seg/off type
Seed Fuzz Color lintless white cream brown green tan rust off white   seg/off type
Seed Type   free semi kidney kidney           seg/off type
Stand Establishment no plants in the stand 10% or less of the full stand 25% of a full stand 50% of a full stand 75% of a full stand 76% - 90% of a full stand full stand      
Stem Color   green sun red dark red           seg/off type
Stem Glands glandless medium light heavy           seg/off type
Stem Hair   none few moderate hairy very hairy pilose     seg/off type
Stigma   normal protruding extreme protruding short buried         seg/off type
Usability   Rapid maturity Delayed maturity and photoperiodic flowering Prolonged maturity, photoperiodic and sporadic flowering Multiyear in greenhouse or tropical nursery