Hevea brasiliensis:The Rubber Tree :: Botany

pencil eraser manoeuvre brasiliensisThe Rubber TreeDuring the Age of geographic expedition many people were sent out to seek unknown shew species that might serve as raw material, remedy, or ornament. Of all the outstanding feats of that era of botanical discovery, none was more(prenominal) imposing than that of the domestication of rubber. current World inhabitants had shown rubber, which they obtained from several tropical plant species, to early explorers, including Columbus. Since it was an unstable product, it remained for more than three centuries a mere curiosity. Then, in 1839, it was found that through give-and-take with sulfur and heat (vulcanization), rubbers elastic properties could be made more permanent. (1)genus Hevea brasiliensis is the source of virtually all the worlds rubber production. Cutting the struggle of this tree releases the latex paint which is then collected, preserved, and stabilized. The latex is located in the inner bark of the tree and flows in the vessels of the tree. Latex is thought to be a denial against insect predators for the tree. (1) Hevea brasiliensis was first found in the Amazon basin. The rubber trade became a mainstay of the brazil nutian economy, providing at its height intimately 40 % of its export revenues. It was not long before the idea was conceived of domesticating rubber. However, Brazil was not the site of the successful commercialization of rubber. Rubber cultivation was, instead, transferred to sou-east Asia. Soon abundant and cheap, rubber was put to thousands of uses. Its reduced cost was an key factor in the emergence of a mass market of automobiles from two-thirds to three-quarters of the make for rubber soon came from the makers of tires and tubes for motor vehicles. (1) After tires, latex products, footwear, belts and hoses, and wire cables argon the most important uses for rubber. (3) Rubber is harvested in Africa, Central and South America, and in Asia, the latter accounting for gre ater than 90% of production. There are 11 species of Hevea. Hevea brasiliensis is a member of the Euphorbiaceae family (spurge family). Although not limited to the Euphorbiaceae, latex production is one of its distinguishing characteristics. (7)The plants of the Euphorbiaceae family are mostly monoecious herbs, shrubs, and trees, sometimes succulent and cactus-like, and comprise one of the largest families of plants with about 300 genera and 7,500 species that are raise characterized by the frequent occurrence of milky sap. (6)The flowering and pollination of the Hevea brasiliensis tree are also distinguishing characteristics of this plant.