an improved high performance liquid chromatography (hplc) method of gossypol analysis was developed and compared with the current spectrophotometric method. gossypol was determined in four samples of cottonseeds of gossypium birsutum with varying contents of gossypol, as well as in the stems and roots of g. arboreum and g thurber. the roots of both species each contained equally high amounts of gossypol, while the stems of each species varied in content. the stability of gossypol was studied in five solvents at six different storage temperatures. both the type of solvent and the temperature were found to affect the rate of decomposition of gossypol. in all the solvents studied, gossypol was found to be highly unstable at 37 c and at room temperature, while its stability increased as the storage temperature decreased. at all temperatures, depending on the solvent used, the rate of decomposition increased in the following order: acetone $less than$ acetonitrile $less than$ chloroform $less than$ ethanol $less than$ methanol. 29 refs