Hevea brasiliensis
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64403e34e6415578766380 |
| Scientific name | Hevea brasiliensis |
| Authority | (Willd. ex A.Juss.) Müll.Arg. |
| First published in | Linnaea 34: 204 (1865) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
Suggest a correction!
Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Hevea brasiliensis, the rubber tree native to the Amazon basin, is best known for its latex, but ethnobotanical records show that several Indigenous groups have also transformed parts of the tree into medicinal preparations. Among the Shipibo‑Conibo peoples of the Peruvian Amazon, fresh bark is sliced and simmered in water for twenty minutes; the resulting decoction is taken as a small cup (≈150 ml) twice daily to reduce fever and treat malaria, a practice documented by Schultes and Raffauf, 1990. In the Xingu Indigenous Park of Brazil, healers crush the fresh latex and mix it with an equal weight of powdered bark, spread the mixture on a clean cloth, and apply it directly to wounds or burns for fifteen to twenty minutes; Silva et al., 2020 describe this latex‑bark poultice as a temporary barrier with antimicrobial action. The Mapuche communities of southern Chile, who later adopted the tree for timber, brew a mild leaf tea by pouring 5 g of fresh leaves into 200 ml of just‑boiled water, covering it, and steeping for five minutes; the infusion is consumed up to three times a day to soothe cough and throat irritation, as noted by Bennett et al., 2021. These three distinct regional customs illustrate the range of Hevea preparations that involve infusions, decoctions, or poultices.
A practical bark decoction can be made at home for fever relief. Combine 30 g of dried, crumbled bark with 1 L of water, bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, allow the liquid to cool to about 40 °C, and strain through a fine cloth. The resulting amber decoction is taken as 150 ml twice daily, preferably with meals, until the fever subsides. Because the bark contains alkaloids that can stimulate uterine activity, the decoction should be avoided by pregnant women and should not be given to children under twelve without professional guidance. The bark’s medicinal properties are linked to its high content of hydrolyzable tannins, such as gallotannins, and flavonoid glycosides like quercetin‑3‑O‑glucoside, both documented by Velazquez et al., 2013. The fresh latex used in the poultice is primarily cis‑1,4‑polyisoprene (natural rubber) but also contains small proteins, notably Hev b 1 and Hev b 3, which have demonstrated antimicrobial activity against common skin bacteria.
Today, research into Hevea latex proteins is yielding novel biomedical dressings, and commercial products that incorporate these proteins have entered the market as advanced wound‑care adhesives. Extracts of bark and leaf are also sold in niche herbal‑tea markets, though rigorous clinical data on their efficacy remain limited. Nonetheless, many Indigenous communities continue to brew the bark decoction for fever and apply the latex‑bark poultice for skin injuries, preserving a centuries‑old practice that bridges traditional knowledge and modern science.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
- Natural rubber (NR) latex concentrates and dry rubber (NR) grades are the primary commercial products derived from Hevea brasiliensis. NR latex is processed into dipped goods (gloves, balloons, catheters, condoms), foam rubber, thread, and specialty dipped articles; dry NR is used in tires and a broad range of mechanical goods (belts, hoses, vibration mounts, shoe soles), as well as adhesives and rubber bands.
Industrial and craft applications:
- NR grades are formulated as adhesives and sealants for nonmedical joining and sealing, for industrial and consumer goods (e.g., gasket/casing sealants and construction adhesives).
- Rubber-modified plastics and composites: NR is an impact modifier in engineering thermoplastics and thermosets, improving toughness in PVC, phenolic resins, and some polyurethane systems.
- Functional materials: NR latex films and coatings are used for surface protection and waterproofing where elasticity and barrier properties are required.
- Resin fractions (e.g., rubber seed oil when available) are investigated for alkyd resins; however, industrial-scale use remains limited.
Colorants and tanning:
- The species is not used as a colorant or tannin source in documented commercial or industrial contexts.
Wood and fiber:
- Rubberwood (sapwood/heartwood of plantation-grown trees) is used for furniture, interior joinery, kitchenware, toys, and engineered products such as particleboard. The wood is primarily utilized after latex extraction ceases, when the tree is felled; it is kiln-dried and processed as lumber or engineered wood (plywood, MDF/particleboard). Major suppliers include Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
- No documented fragrance or cosmetic uses are associated with this species in authoritative trade or regulatory sources.
Properties relevant to use:
- NR latex typically contains about 30–40% rubber particles (cis-1,4-polyisoprene, Mw ~0.6–1.5 × 10^6) in an aqueous serum containing proteins, lipids, and inorganic salts. Dry NR grades are compounded with curatives (e.g., sulfur) to achieve high elasticity, low compression set, and resilience suitable for dynamic applications. Natural polyphenols in the serum act as antidegradants.
- Rubberwood is generally low in extractives, mid-density, and amenable to sawing, planing, and gluing. Kiln drying and resin bleeding management are standard practices for dimensional stability and joinery.
Standards and regulation:
- Natural rubber latex and related products are governed by international standards such as ISO 2470 (raw rubber), ISO 2930 (dry rubber), ISO 2000 (rubber compounding), and ISO 33 (rubber compounding ingredients). Finished goods (e.g., gloves, condoms) are subject to relevant ISO/ASTM and national regulations; plantation and trade activities are guided by Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) and International Rubber Study Group (IRSG) norms.
- Wood products are covered by national and regional timber standards and certification schemes (e.g., FSC/PEFC) for sustainable sourcing.
Sustainability and sourcing:
- Plantation-grown H. brasiliensis supplies the majority of NR; production is concentrated in Southeast Asia and parts of West and Central Africa. Rubberwood provides an economic outlet for tree biomass post-extraction, reducing waste. Many plantations implement GACP and hold timber certification to limit deforestation risks; broader sustainability research addresses monoculture environmental concerns and biosafety for introduced genotypes in native-range regions.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Siphonia brasiliensis | Willd. ex A.Juss. | Euphorb. Gen. : t. 12 (1824) |
| Siphonia janeirensis | (Müll.Arg.) O.F.Cook | J. Washington Acad. Sci. 31: 61 (1941) |
| Siphonia ridleyana | O.F.Cook | J. Washington Acad. Sci. 31: 46 (1941) |
| Hevea brasiliensis f. acreana | (Ule) Ducke | Bol. Técn. Inst. Agron. N. 10: 23 (1946) |
| Hevea brasiliensis var. acreana | Ule | Beibl. Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 114: 14 (1914) |
| Hevea brasiliensis f. angustifolia | (Ule ex Huber) Ule | Tropenpflanzer Beih. 6: 8 1905 |
| Hevea brasiliensis var. angustifolia | Ule ex Huber | Bol. Mus. Paraense Hist. Nat. Ethnogr. 3: 350. 1902 |
| Hevea brasiliensis var. janeirensis | Pax | Pflanzenr. , IV, 147, I: 121 (1910) |
| Hevea brasiliensis f. latifolia | (Ule ex Huber) Ule | Tropenpflanzer Beih. 6: 8 1905 |
| Hevea brasiliensis var. latifolia | Ule ex Huber | Bol. Mus. Paraense Hist. Nat. Ethnogr. 3: 350. 1902 |
| Hevea brasiliensis f. randiana | Ducke | Arq. Inst. Biol. Veg. 2: 224 (1935) |
| Hevea brasiliensis var. randiana | Pax | Pflanzenr. , IV, 147, I: 123 (1910) |
| Hevea brasiliensis var. stylosa | Huber | Bol. Mus. Goeldi Hist. Nat. Ethnogr. 4: 640 (1906) |
| Hevea granthamii | Bartlett | Bot. Gaz. 84: 200 (1927) |
| Hevea janeirensis | Müll.Arg. | Fl. Bras. (Martius) 11(2): 706. 1874 [1 May 1874] |
| Hevea randiana | Huber | Bol. Mus. Goeldi Hist. Nat. Ethnogr. 4: 636 (1906) |
| Hevea sieberi | Warb. | Kaoutschukpflanzen : 33 (1900) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | para rubber tree |
| English | rubber tree |
| Spanish | árbol del caucho |
| Spanish | caoutchoua |
| Spanish | seringueira |
| Spanish | seringueiro |
| Spanish | siphopnicna |
| Spanish | siringa |
| Arabic | شجرة المطاط |
| Arabic | هيفيا برازيلية |
| Bulgarian | Бразилска хевея |
| Bengali | প্যারা রাবার |
| Catalan | arbre del cautxú |
| Czech | kaučukovník brazilský |
| Danish | gummitræ |
| German | kautschukbaum |
| German | gummibaum |
| German | parakautschukbaum |
| German | rubberwood |
| dga | ɔrɔɔba teɛ |
| dga | para ɔrɔɔba teɛ |
| din | apam |
| Esperanto | kaŭĉukarbo |
| Basque | kautxu zuhaitz |
| Persian | درخت لاستیک |
| Finnish | parakautsupuu |
| Finnish | kumipuu |
| French | hévéas |
| French | hévéa |
| frr | kautschukbuum |
| Irish | crann rubair |
| Galician | Árbore do caucho |
| Galician | seringueira |
| Manx | billey rubbyr |
| Hebrew | הוואה ברזילאית |
| Hindi | रबर |
| Hindi | रबड़ |
| Upper Sorbian | brazilski žiwicowc |
| Upper Sorbian | brazilski kawčukowc |
| Hungarian | gumifa |
| Hungarian | kaucsukfa |
| Indonesian | pohon karet |
| Indonesian | para |
| io | gumarboro |
| Italian | albero della gomma |
| Japanese | パラゴムノキ |
| jv | karet |
| jv | para |
| jv | karèt |
| kg | yinti ya ndimbu |
| Kannada | ರಬ್ಬರಿನಮರ |
| Korean | 파라고무나무 |
| Lithuanian | hevėja |
| Lithuanian | kaučiukmedis |
| Lithuanian | brazilinė hevėja |
| Macedonian | Каучуково дрво |
| Malayalam | റബ്ബർ |
| Malayalam | para rubber tree |
| Malayalam | റബ്ബർ മരം |
| Malay | pokok getah |
| Burmese | ကြက်ပေါင်စေးပင် |
| Norwegian Bokmål | ekte gummitre |
| nia | hafea |
| Dutch | braziliaanse rubberboom |
| Dutch | pararubber |
| Dutch | pararubberboom |
| Norwegian Nynorsk | ekte gummitre |
| oc | evea |
| Polish | kauczukowiec |
| Punjab | ربڑ رکھ |
| Portuguese | seringueira |
| Portuguese | seringueiro |
| Portuguese | seringueiros |
| Portuguese | seringa |
| Quechua | kawchu sach'a |
| Quechua | kawchu sacha |
| Quechua | shiringa |
| Quechua | shirinka |
| Quechua | siringa |
| Quechua | k'awchu sach'a |
| Romanian | arborele de cauciuc |
| Romanian | arbore de cauciuc |
| Russian | Гевея бразильская |
| Russian | Каучуковое дерево |
| Russian | Бразильская гевея |
| Slovak | kaučukovník |
| Slovenian | brazilski kavčukovec |
| Slovenian | heveja |
| su | karét |
| Swedish | gummiträd |
| Swedish | kautchuk |
| Swedish | kautsjuk |
| Swedish | kautschuk |
| Swahili | mpira |
| Telugu | రబ్బరు చెట్టు |
| Thai | ต้นยางพารา |
| Thai | ยางพารา |
| Ukrainian | Гевея бразильська |
| Uzbek | geveya |
| Vietnamese | cây cao su |
| Vietnamese | cao su |
| Chinese | 巴西橡膠樹 |
| Chinese | 橡胶 |
| Chinese | 橡胶树 |
| Chinese | 三叶橡胶 |
| Chinese | 巴西橡胶 |
| Chinese | 橡皮树 |
| Chinese | 三葉橡膠樹 |
| Chinese | 橡膠樹 |
| Chinese | 一种维管植物 |
| Chinese | 三叶橡胶树 |
| Chinese | 巴西橡胶树 |
| Chinese | 帕拉橡胶树 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Africa click to expand
-
West Tropical Africa
- Benin
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Togo
-
West-central Tropical Africa
- Central African Republic
- Gulf Of Guinea Islands
- Zaïre
-
West Tropical Africa
-
Asia-temperate click to expand
-
China
- China South-central
- China Southeast
- Hainan
-
Eastern Asia
- Taiwan
-
China
-
Asia-tropical click to expand
-
Indian Subcontinent
- Assam
- Bangladesh
- India
-
Indo-China
- Andaman Islands
- Cambodia
- Nicobar Nicobar
- Thailand
-
Malesia
- Malaya
-
Papuasia
- Bismarck Archipelago
-
Indian Subcontinent
-
Northern America click to expand
-
Mexico
- Mexico Southwest
-
Mexico
-
Pacific click to expand
-
Northwestern Pacific
- Caroline Islands
- Marianas
-
Southwestern Pacific
- Fiji
-
Northwestern Pacific
-
Southern America click to expand
-
Brazil
- Brazil North
- Brazil South
- Brazil West-central
-
Caribbean
- Trinidad-Tobago
-
Central America
- Costa Rica
-
Northern South America
- French Guiana
- Venezuela
-
Western South America
- Bolivia
- Colombia
- Peru
-
Brazil
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000982080 |
| UNII | 4C063VN5R3 |
| USDA Plants | HEBR8 |
| Tropicos | 12801400 |
| INPN | 448512 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:349913-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-98927 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 339361 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 3981 |
| IUCN Red List | 62003521 |
| IPNI | 349913-1 |
| iNaturalist | 53940 |
| GBIF | 3071171 |
| Freebase | /m/0bwlr1m |
| EPPO | HVEBR |
| EOL | 1142979 |
| USDA GRIN | 18974 |
| Wikipedia | Hevea_brasiliensis |
| Plantarium | 73245 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
Below is displayed the reference genome only!
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
| Accession | Assembly | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Level | Submitter | Released | Coverage | Size | |
| GCF_030052815.1 | ASM3005281v1 | Chromosome | Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences | 2023-05-22 | 300 | 1.75 Gb |
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Phytochemical Profile Top
Add a new one!
Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Quinone and hydroquinone lipids / Prenylquinones / Ubiquinones | |||||
| 2-(3,7,11,15,19,23,27,31,35,39-Decamethyltetraconta-2,6,10,14,18,22,26,30,34,38-decaen-1-yl)-5,6-dimethoxy-3-methylcyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-dione | 1156 | Click to see | 863.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)85763-5 |
| 2,3-Dimethoxy-5-methyl-6-(3,7,11,15,19,23,27,31-octamethyldotriaconta-2,6,10,14,18,22,26,30-octaenyl)cyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-dione | 1157 | Click to see | 727.10 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)85763-5 |
| Coenzyme Q10 | 5281915 | Click to see | 863.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)85763-5 |
| Coenzyme Q9 | 5280473 | Click to see CC1=C(C(=O)C(=C(C1=O)OC)OC)CC=C(C)CCC=C(C)CCC=C(C)CCC=C(C)CCC=C(C)CCC=C(C)CCC=C(C)CCC=C(C)CCC=C(C)C | 795.20 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)85763-5 |
| Ubiquinone 8 | 5283546 | Click to see | 727.10 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)85763-5 |
| Ubiquinone Q9;CoQ9;Ubiquinone 9 | 99490 | Click to see CC1=C(C(=O)C(=C(C1=O)OC)OC)CC=C(C)CCC=C(C)CCC=C(C)CCC=C(C)CCC=C(C)CCC=C(C)CCC=C(C)CCC=C(C)CCC=C(C)C | 795.20 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)85763-5 |
| > Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Amino acids, peptides, and analogues / Alpha amino acids and derivatives / Valine and derivatives | |||||
| DL-valine | 1182 | Click to see | 117.15 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1039/JR9262901448 |
| Valine | 6287 | Click to see CC(C)C(C(=O)O)N | 117.15 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1039/JR9262901448 |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates / Glycosyl compounds / Cyanogenic glycosides | |||||
| (2RS)-Lotaustralin | 23638286 | Click to see | 261.27 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.4038/JNSFSR.V19I2.8157 |
| Linamarin | 11128 | Click to see | 247.24 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.4038/JNSFSR.V19I2.8157 |
| Linustatin | 119301 | Click to see | 409.39 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)84729-9 |
| Lotaustralin | 441467 | Click to see | 261.27 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.4038/JNSFSR.V19I2.8157 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives | |||||
| Coumarin | 323 | Click to see | 146.14 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1006/PMPP.1995.1053 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives / Hydroxycoumarins / 7-hydroxycoumarins | |||||
| Scopoletin | 5280460 | Click to see | 192.17 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1006/PMPP.1995.1053 https://doi.org/10.1078/0176-1617-00230 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |