102 THE PARA RUBBER TREE 



added to that of the latter species ; they are generally 

 very scattered in the forests and are only rarely exploited 

 by the natives. 



The third group comprises H. Spj'uceana, Miill. Arg., 

 H. discolor, Miill. Arg., //. similis, Hemsl., and H. viridis, 

 Hub. These trees give only a small quantity of latex 

 which furnishes a weak, sticky rubber, and they are there- 

 fore of little practical importance. 



Good rubber is said to be obtained from several other 

 species of Hevea, such as H. rigidi folia, Miill. Arg., H. 

 minor, Hemsl., and H. microphylla. Vie, which occur on 

 the Rio Negro, but according to Huber there is at present 

 little authentic informa,tion available regarding the value of 

 these trees. The Hevea confusa, Hemsl., of British Guiana 

 also fiu-nishes marketable rubber, but the yield is small 

 (see Bidletin of the Imperial Institute, vol. x. 1912, p. 388). 



Botanical Characters. — Hevea hrasiliensis is a large 

 forest tree which may attain a height of 100 ft. It 

 has a well-developed trunk, sometimes measurmg 10 to 

 12 ft. in circumference, and the branches are high. The 

 leaves have a long petiole and are trifid, the three leaflets 

 being lanceolate with acuminate apex. The flowers, 

 which are small, green, and sweetly scented, are unisexual 

 and are borne in panicles which contain both male and 

 female flowers. The fruit is a three-celled triangular 

 capsule, each division of which contains a single oval 

 seed having a shiny brown mottled seed-coat. When 

 ripe the capsule bm*sts and scatters the seeds to a con- 

 siderable distance. (See Plate II.) 



Hevea hrasiliensis sheds its leaves every year, but only 

 remains leafless for a short period. This change takes 

 place both in its native habitat and also in the countries 

 into which it has been introduced. According to Ule, the 

 Para trees growing on the lower Amazon lose their leaves 

 between March and July, flower in July and August, and 

 ripen their fruits in January and February. In Ceylon the 

 Para trees usually shed their leaves between January and 

 March, and fruit from August to November, altliougli in 

 the Uva Province the fruiting period is from February to 

 April. The fall of the leaves occurs in Malaya between 

 January and March as in Ceylon, but the trees ripen their 

 fruits either in the early part of the year, the maximum 

 crop being then in March, or from July to October. 



