Brief
Hevea brasiliensis, the rubber tree (primary source of natural rubber).
Botanical Description
Hevea brasiliensis is a tall deciduous tree growing to a height of up to 13 stories in the wild, meanwhile cultivated trees are usually much smaller because of the drawing of the latex. The trunk is cylindrical and may have a swollen, bottle-shaped base. The bark is some shade of brown, and the inner bark oozes latex when damaged. The leaves have three leaflets and are spirally arranged. The inflorescences include separate male and female flowers. The flowers are pungent, creamy-yellow and have no petals. The fruit is a capsule that contains three large seeds; it opens explosively when ripe.
Historical / Cultural Significance
Rubber trees are one of Malaysia’s most important cultivated crops, contributing significantly to the country’s economic growth since the 1950s. The first rubber tree in Malaysia is believed to have been planted in 1877, originating from one of nine seedlings brought over by Henry Nicholas Ridley, who later became the director of the Singapore Botanic Gardens in 1888.
The harvesting process, known as rubber tapping, involves carefully making shallow incisions across the latex vessels to extract latex without damaging the tree’s growth. The latex is then collected in small buckets for processing.
Folklore and Cultural Significance
Hevea: Indigenous word used in the Amazon basin, where the tree originates. It was introduced to the scientific lexicon by 18th-century botanists.
Brasiliensis (Latin): “of Brazil,” signifying the tree’s origin in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest.