Common Name: Ceara Rubber Tree

General Information

Ceara rubber tree is a deciduous, glabrous shrub or tree with a sparse crown; usually growing up to 6 metres tall but with occasional specimens up to 10 - 20 metres[, ]. The cylindrical bole can be 20 - 30cm in diameter[]. The tree often produces several weak branches from near the base[].
The source of a latex that can be used to make rubber, there was tremendous interest in growing this plant, especially at the beginning of the 20th century[]. Plantations were established in many tropical countries, but then interest switched to the Para rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) and interest in this species was lost[]. It is not currently cultivated as a rubber crop, but is often grown in gardens as an ornamental[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - northeast Brazil.

Habitat

Often left behind as a relict of cultivation and therefore found in scrubs, secondary forest and waste places along roads and rivers, near paddies, old cultivated fields[]. Also found occasionally in dense, primary forests[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	6.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the semi-arid tropics, where it is found at elevations from sea level up to 1,200 metres[]. It grows in areas where the mean annual rainfall is within the range 600 - 700mm[].
Prefers a position in a sunny position[]. The tree tolerates a wide range of soils including very poor and acidic soils[]. It can succeed in sticky red soil, which may be water logged[]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[].
Plants have escaped from cultivation in many of the areas in which they have been grown[]. They are reported to be invasive in Hawaii[].
The growth of young plants is rapid[].
The plant can flower the whole year through, it probably also fruits the year round but no data is available[].
The tree can be tapped at the age of 3 years[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked[]. Eaten as a vegetable[]. The leaves contain hydrocyanic acid, which is toxic, but it is destroyed by heat and so the cooked leaves are safe to eat[].

Root - cooked[, ]. A famine food, it is eaten in times of food scarcity[]. The root is rich in starch but it is hard and woody[]. It also contains hydrocyanic acid (see note above re the leaves)[].

Seed - oily[].

Medicinal

The stem and root are ingredients in a remedy for skin infections[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is used to provide temporary shade for cocoa plants[].
The leaves are applied as green leaf manure[].
In some areas, especially where the rainfall is low, the species is used as a hedge[].

Other Uses

The plant is used in breeding programmes for cassava (Manihot esculenta), being used to improve disease resistance[].

The tree is a source of latex that can be used to make rubber[]. The rubber is said to be of good appearance, but the resin content, at 3 - 12%, is too high[], It is, therefore, considered to be uneconomical when there are other sources. The latex can be used as a glue for paper[].

The seeds contain 90 % unsaturated oil[]. (This seems a very high figure[].) The oil might possibly be used as a fuel for pre-combustion diesel engines[].

The wood is coarse-textured, straight-grained, very light in weight, very susceptible to wood-eating organisms[]. Easy to cut but of quite low quality, it is used to make items such use boxes[].

Propagation

Seed - usually sown in situ[]. Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed. A germination rate of around 50% can be expected, with the seed sprouting within 30 - 50 days[].
Cuttings[].

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