Bolls

A boll is a type of fruit in certain flowering plants, characterized by a seed capsule that dehisces (splits open) at maturity to release the seeds. The cotton plant (Gossypium) is the best known producer of bolls, whose protective capsules surround the seeds and the fiber that becomes cotton lint.

In cotton, the boll forms from a fertilized ovule within a flower. The mature boll is a rounded, closed capsule that typically opens along one or more seams. Each boll contains multiple seeds embedded in short fibers; the fibers extend from the seed coat and are collectively harvested as cotton lint. The lint protects the seeds and is the primary material processed into textile fiber.

Development and yield are influenced by climate and agronomic practices. Extreme heat, drought, or rainfall can affect boll formation, fiber length, and overall yield. Bolls are a focal point for pests such as the boll weevil and the bollworm, which feed on developing seeds and fibers, and for diseases that cause boll rot or boll blight.

Harvesting usually occurs when most bolls have opened. In ginning, the fiber (lint) is separated from the seeds, after which the fiber is cleaned and baled for textile production.

Beyond cotton, the term boll is used in botany to describe a dehiscent fruit in some plant groups, though the cotton boll is by far the most familiar example.