Rubber sap
| Title | Info |
|---|---|
| Common name | Rubber |
| Scientific name | Hevea brasiliensis |
| Taxonomic group | Euphorbiaceae |
| Source | Dan L. Perlman |
| Economic botany | Industrial products; Forest products |
| Date | 1985 |
| Location | Costa Rica,North America |
Rubber tree. The primary source of natural rubber, Hevea brasiliensis is native to Brazil but is now predominantly cultivated in Asia due to the absence of a harmful fungal blight. Rubber latex is collected from this species by making a diagonal cut in the outer layer of the bark, as seen here. The exuded latex flows into a collecting cup positioned at the lower end of the slash. Though synthetic rubbers have been developed, they are still in some ways inferior in quality, and therefore natural rubber still accounts for about 30% of all rubber used. Over two-thirds of all rubber (synthetic and natural) is used for the production of tires.
