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| Ficus elastica Roxb. | ||||||||||||||||
Ficus elastica, also called the rubber fig, rubber tree, rubber plant, or Indian rubber tree is a species of plant in the fig genus, native to northeast India (Assam), south to Indonesia (Sumatra and Java).
It is a large tree in the banyan group of figs, growing to 30-40 m (rarely up to 60 m) tall, with a stout trunk up to 2 m diameter, with an irregular trunk which 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 long and 5-15 cm broad; leaf size is largest on young plants (occasionally to 45 cm long), much smaller on old trees (typically 10 cm 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. Indian rubber is also used to make "Hubba Bubba" bubble gum.
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 long, barely edible; it will only contain viable seed where the relevant fig wasp species is present.
Cultivation and uses
Ficus elastica is grown around the world as an ornamental plant, outside in frost-free climates from the tropical to the Mediterranean and inside in colder climates as a houseplant. Although it is grown in Hawaii, the species of fig wasp required to allow to it spread naturally is not currently present there.
In cultivation, it prefers bright sunlight but not hot temperatures. It has a high tolerance for drought, but prefers humidity and thrives in wet, tropical conditions. When grown as an ornamental plant hybrids derived from Ficus elastica Robusta with broader, stiffer and more upright leaves are commonly used instead of the wild form. Many such forms exist, often with variegated leaves.
Most cultivated plants are produced by asexual propagation. This can be done by planting cuttings or air layering. The latter method requires the propagator to cut a slit in the plant's stem. The wound, which oozes with the plant's latex sap, is packed with rooting hormone and wrapped tightly with moist sphagnum moss. The whole structure is wrapped in plastic and left for a few months. When it is unwrapped, new roots have developed from the plant's auxiliary buds. The stem is severed and the new plant is potted on its own.
It can yield a milky white latex which has been used in some cases to make rubber, but it should not be confused with the Para rubber tree, the main commercial source of latex for rubber making.