Tropical Rubber Trees
The rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) is a member of the Euphorbiacaea family, a group of plants known for their milky, white sap. This tree, also known as para rubber, natural rubber and hevea, is indigenous to Brazil, Columbia and Peru. Does this Spark an idea?
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Description
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Rubber trees may ascend to heights of up to 130 feet. Their trunks are typically between 6 and 9 feet wide. These smooth, straight trunks are free of branches near the forest floor, becoming thickly populated with leaves and branches near the upper canopy. They exhibit vibrant, green leaves consisting of three leaflets, as well as sweet-smelling green and yellow flowers and mottled brown seeds.
Habitat
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As natives of the Amazon rain forest, rubber trees prosper in tropical and sub-tropical climates. They can survive temperature fluctuations and dry spells, but are much happier when provided with a constant supply of water and relatively consistent warm temperatures. Over 90 percent of the world's rubber trees today are grown in Southeast Asia.
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Use
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The milky sap, or latex, of the rubber plant is harvested and refined to make natural rubber, a substance with many uses. Vulcanization, the process through which this sap is turned into rubber, was pioneered in the late 19th century by Charles Goodyear. Goodyear made a fortune by creating rubber tires for the burgeoning automobile industry. For many years, natural rubber was used to make not only tires but also such products as erasers and galoshes. Today most "rubber" products are actually synthetic rubber and not derived from the rubber tree.
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References
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