( 3 ) 
five or six feet in girth are seldom found.- When 
grown in the open the tree branches low. The 
leaves are simple, alternate, and crowded together 
towards the end of the twigs, dark shiny green 
above, and silky brown pubescent beneath, 4 to 6 
inches long and 1% to 2^ inches wide, but larger 
on young trees. The veins are about 20 to BO on 
each side of the mid-rib and are not very distinct. 
Flowers axillary in groups of four, white. Fruit 
a fleshy egg-shaped berry, brownish pubescent on 
the surface, about 1 T /2 inches long and 1 to 1 *4 
inches in diameter. 
5. Geographic Distribution. 
It was at one time stated (Obach-Cantor Lec- 
tures — 1897) that gutta percha was only produced 
in a rectangular area extending about 6° north and 
south of the equator and from 99° to 119° east 
longitude. This area does contain most of the gutta 
and practically all of the best grade, but it is now 
known that gutta percha trees of certain kinds 
occur as far north as Indo-China and the Philippine 
Islands, throughout the Malay Archipelago, and as 
far to the south-east as New Guinea. 
II.— ABUNDANCE AND NATURAL 
DISTRIBUTION. 
1. Manner of Occurrence. 
Getah taban merah does not naturally form 
pure forests, but is accompanied by a large number 
of other kinds of trees, many of them of larger size. 
It may often be present to the extent of a large 
number of individuals per acre, but it is rarely, if 
ever, the most abundant tree under natural condi- 
tions. There are often fair numbers of young 
$ 2 - 4 -% / 32 k 
