Hevea brasiliensis
|
Taxon |
Family |
|
Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg. |
Euphorbiaceae |
 |
|
| Invaded habitat on Pacific Islands Credit: Jim Space, PIER |
Common names: Rubber tree, Brazilian rubber tree, Para rubber tree, hevea
Synonyms: Siphonia brasiliensis Willd. Ex A. Juss.
Life form: Tree
Biology/Ecology:
Dispersal: Mature fruits explode, dispersing the seeds up to 15 metres. Introduced by humans for rubber production.
Reproduction: Produces small green/yellow staminate and pistillate flowers. A few staminate flowers open first, followed by all the pistillate flowers, and then the remaining staminate flowers. This ensures a high degree of cross pollination. Midges, thrips, moths and bees pollinate the flowers. Subglobose brown capsules are 5 to 7 cm thick. Seeds are brown and oblong, 2.5 cm long.
Herbivores: Tropical red spider mite.
Resistant stages: Develops a large taproot.
Habitat:
Native habitat: Tropical rainforest
Habitat occupied in invaded range: Moist or well drained tropical rainforest
Habitat requirements:
| Altitude | No information available. |
| Light | Seeds germinate best under semi-shade. |
| Temperature | Prefers high temperatures. |
| Annual rainfall | Between 1000 and 5000 mm per year, drought intolerant. |
| Soil | Moist to well drained alluvial soils, with a pH of between 4 and 8. Intolerant to drought. |
Distribution:
Native to the Amazon rainforest in South America
Introduced range: Invasive in Tanzania. Introduced but not invasive in parts of East Africa, southeastern Asia, Australia, Micronesia, Fiji, Samoa and Papua New Guinea.
Impacts:
Ecosystem: No information available.
Health, social and economic: No information available.
Management:
Mechanical: No information available.
Chemical: Basal bark of trees and saplings should be treated with 10% Garlon 600 in diesel oil. Seedlings should be sprayed with 2% Roundup plus Pulse in clean water.
Biological: No information available.
References:
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER), 2004. Available from http://www.hear.org/pier/species/hevea_brasiliensis.htm (Accessed August 2006).
Law, L., 1999. Hevea brasiliensis: The Rubber Tree. Southern Illinois University. Available from http://www.siu.edu/~ebl/leaflets/rubber2.htm (Accessed August 2006).
Tropical Advisory Service, 2002. Tree Species No. TTS15. HDRA. Available from http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/pdfs/international_programme/TTS15-Hevea_brasiliensis.pdf (Accessed August 2006).
Last updated October 2006
