Common Name:

General Information

Hevea benthamiana is usually a medium-sized, evergreen tree growing up to 20 metres tall, though specimens up to 27 metres have been encountered[].
The tree yields a high quality latex, used for making rubber. It has occasionally been cultivated in Venezuela, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Indonesia as a source of latex[, ]. The tree is often tapped commercially, but it has never been used for plantation stock[]. It is also used in breeding programmes (e.g. In Malaysia) to improve the disease resistance and growth characters of H. Brasiliensis[]. The seeds are an important food source for native people in some parts of the Amazon, though in other areas they are used as a food in times of famine only.

Known Hazards

The seeds contain cyanic compounds are poisonous to humans unless treated[]. See notes on edible uses below[].

Botanical References

Range

Northern S. America - northern Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela.

Habitat

Low alluvial flood-sites and often-times growing in all year Mauritia-bogs[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	20.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Seed - cooked[]. Poisonous raw, the seeds are boiled for 24 hours, then the liquid is strained off[]. The mass that remains has somewhat the colour and consistency of rice that has been boiled a long time[]. The seeds are commonly used by some native people, though other tribes view them only as famine foods when better foods are not available[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

A good quality, pure-white latex, suitable for making rubber, is obtained from the tree[]. It produces a rubber only slightly inferior to that of Hevea brasiliensis[].

Propagation

Seed -

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