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Ficus elastica
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Species of banyan tree
Not to be confused with Rubber tree.
Rubber fig
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
Clade:
Embryophytes
Clade:
Tracheophytes
Clade:
Spermatophytes
Clade:
Angiosperms
Clade:
Eudicots
Clade:
Rosids
Order:
Rosales
Family:
Moraceae
Genus:
Ficus
Subgenus:
F. subg. Urostigma
Species:
F. elastica
Binomial name
Ficus elastica<br>Roxb. ex Hornem. 1819<br>– not Roxb. 1832, nor Roxb. 1814 (the latter not validly published)
Synonyms[1]
Ficus clusiifolia Summerh. 1929 not Schott 1827
Ficus cordata Kunth & C.D.Bouché 1846 not Thunb. 1786
Ficus elastica var. belgica L.H.Bailey & E.Z.Bailey
Ficus elastica var. benghalensis Blume
Ficus elastica var. decora Guillaumin
Ficus elastica var. karet (Miq.) Miq.
Ficus elastica var. minor Miq.
Ficus elastica var. odorata (Miq.) Miq.
Ficus elastica var. rubra L.H.Bailey & E.Z.Bailey
Ficus karet (Miq.) King
Ficus skytinodermis Summerh.
Ficus taeda Kunth & C.D.Bouché
Macrophthalma elastica (Roxb. ex Hornem.) Gasp.
Visiania elastica (Roxb. ex Hornem.) Gasp.
Ficus elastica , the rubber fig , rubber bush , rubber tree , rubber plant , or Indian rubber bush , Indian rubber tree , or rambung is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae, native to eastern parts of South and Southeast Asia. It has become naturalized in Sri Lanka, the West Indies, and the US state of Florida.[2][3] Its common names reflect its historical use as a source of rubber within its native range, but it is not used in the modern commercial-scale production of natural rubber.
Description<br>[edit]
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It is a large tree in the banyan group of figs, growing to 30–40 m (100–130 ft) – rarely up to 60 m or 195 ft – tall, with a stout trunk up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in diameter. The trunk develops aerial and buttressing roots to anchor it in the soil and help support heavy branches.
It has broad shiny oval leaves 10–35 cm (4–14 in) long and 5–15 cm (2–6 in) broad; leaf size is largest on young plants (occasionally to 45 cm or 17+1⁄2 in long), much smaller on old trees (typically 10 cm or 4 in long). The leaves develop inside a sheath at the apical meristem, which grows larger as the new leaf develops. When it is mature, it unfurls and the sheath drops off the plant. Inside the new leaf, another immature leaf is waiting to develop. The canopy of the tree is dense.
Pollination and fruiting<br>[edit]
As with other members of the genus Ficus, the flowers require a particular species of fig wasp to pollinate it in a co-evolved relationship. Because of this relationship, the rubber plant does not produce highly colourful or fragrant flowers to attract other pollinators. The fruit is a small yellow-green oval fig 1 cm (1⁄2 in) long, barely edible; these are fake fruits that contain fertile seeds only in areas where the pollinating insect is present.
Range<br>[edit]
The natural range of F. elastica extends from Nepal in the north to Indonesia, Bhutan, Northeastern India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Yunnan in China, and Malaysia. It has been widely introduced in most tropical regions of the world, including Hawaii and the West Indies. In Europe, it can be found in mild locations throughout the Mediterranean Basin.
Cultivation and uses<br>[edit]
Aerial roots of Ficus elastica being formed into a bridge in Meghalaya, India<br>In parts of India, people guide the roots of the tree over chasms to eventually form living bridges.[4] To this day there are large bridges woven from aerial roots in Meghalaya, India. Although the trees used for these bridges are very large, aerial roots can be found on F. elastica as small as 1 feet tall.[5][better source needed]
Latex<br>[edit]
All parts of the plant contain an abundant milky white latex, a chemical compound separate from its sap and carried and stored in different cells. The latex of Ficus elastica can irritate the eyes and skin, and is toxic if taken internally.[6] Its sap can be used to make rubber;[2] it was once the most common plant in Sumatra and Malay Peninsula for tapping before the Pará tree (Hevea brasiliensis) was introduced from Brazil in...