Hevea brasiliensis, the Par rubber tree, sharinga tree, or, most commonly, the rubber tree, is a tree

belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae. It is the most economically important member of the genus Hevea. It is of major economic importance because the milky latex extracted from the tree is the primary source of natural rubber.

South American tropical tree (Hevea brasiliensis) of the spurge family. Cultivated on plantations in the tropics and subtropics, especially in Southeast Asia and western Africa, it replaced the rubber plant in the early 20th century as the chief source of natural rubber. It has soft wood, high, branching limbs, and a large area of bark. The milky liquid (latex) that oozes from any wound to the tree bark contains about 30% rubber, which can be coagulated and processed into solid products such as tires. Latex can also be concentrated for producing dipped goods such as surgical gloves.

The Par rubber tree initially grew only in the Amazon Rainforest. Increasing demand and the discovery of the vulcanization procedure in 1839 led to the rubber boom in that region, enriching the cities of Belm and Manaus. The name of the tree derives from Par, the second largest Brazilian state, the capital of which is Belm. These trees were used to obtain rubber by the natives that inhabited within its geographical distribution. The Olmec people of Mesoamerica extracted and produced similar forms of primitive rubber from analogous latex-producing trees such as Castilla elastica as early as 3600 years ago.[citation needed] The rubber was used, among other things, to make the balls used in the Mesoamerican ballgame.[citation needed] Early attempts were made in 1873 to grow hevea brasilensis outside Brazil. After some effort, twelve seedlings were germinated at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. These were sent to India for cultivation, but died. A second attempt was then made, some 70,000 seeds being smuggled to Kew in 1875, by Henry Wickham, at the service of the British Empire.[2][3][4][5] About 4% of these germinated, and in 1876 about 2000 seedlings were sent, in Wardian cases, to Ceylon, and 22 were sent to the Botanic Gardens in Singapore. Once established outside its native country, rubber was extensively propagated in the British colonies. Rubber trees were brought to the botanical gardens at Buitenzorg, Java in 1883.[6] By 1898, a rubber plantation had been established in Malaya, and today, most rubber tree plantations are in South and Southeast Asia, with some also in tropical West Africa. Efforts to cultivate the tree in South America (Amazon) were unsatisfactory because of blight.[1] The blight, called "South American Leaf Blight" is caused by the Ascomycota, Microcyclus ulei.[7]

Taking care of rubber tree plant

instructions
1.

1 LIGHT: Your rubber tree [Ficus elastica] has evolved from plants naturally found in sub tropical and tropical areas of the world. For that reason they are happy to be placed in a warm spot out of direct sunlight. On the flip side they will not be happy near a drafty or cold window.

2 WATER: Tropical plants are used to soil that gets saturated often yet have periods of time when the soil is able to dry out. Your rubber tree will thrive when you follow that natural pattern and water it thoroughly allowing it to dry a bit before watering again. For best results don't shock the roots with ice cold water and stay away from soft water as it has a high salt content. Water collected in your dehumidifier is perfect!

3 FERTILIZER: Using a water soluble type fertilizer mix it to half strength. Fertilize it every three to four weeks when it is in a heavy period of growth. Cut back on the fertilizer in the fall and hardly use any during the short days of winter. 4 PRUNING: Unless you want a huge tree in your house you will want to prune it once in a while. Pruning will help keep the plant shorter and will help the plant to branch out making a more esthetic plant. Prune as you would any woody plant, cutting just above a node [where a leaf is attached to the stem, or where another stem branches off]. New growth will come out of the scar area. 5 In a natural environment the plant will be cleaned with gentle rain and wind that will remove dust and dirt. In your house you can wipe the leaves lightly with a soft cloth or swiffer. If you like the really shiny look you can wipe each leaf down with a commercial leaf shine product or a scrap piece of flannel that has a tiny bit of mayonnaise infused in it. 6 Repeat steps for as long as you have the plant. Enjoy!

Read more: How to Take Care of A Rubber Tree Plant | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2193135_care-of-rubber-tree-plant.html#ixzz2PNL0Mscq