Ficus elastica
COMMON NAME | Rubber tree or
India rubber tree |
TYPE | Tree |
FAMILY | Moraceae |
NOTES | A large tree in the
banyan group of figs, growing to 50 to 100 ft tall, with a stout trunk up to
6 ft in diameter. The trunk develops aerial and buttressing roots to anchor
it in the soil and help support heavy branches. It is noted for its thick,
leathery, glossy, dark green leaves (to 12” long and 5” wide) and pink to
purplish stipules. Milky sap from these trees was used to make an inferior
rubber in the early 1900s, but it should not be confused with the Pará rubber
tree, the main commercial source of latex for rubber making. |
GEOGRAPHIC REGION | E. Asia - India, Bhutan, Nepal,
Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia |
NATIVE HABITAT | Hill forest,
particularly on cliffs and limestone hills |
WEB SOURCES |
