Ficus elastica

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Not to be confused with
Rubber tree
.

Rubber fig
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Moraceae
Genus: Ficus
Subgenus: F. subg. Urostigma
Species:
F. elastica
Binomial name
Ficus elastica
Hornem.
1819
– not Roxb. 1832, nor Roxb. 1814 (the latter not validly published)
Synonyms[1]
  • Ficus clusiifolia Summerh. 1929 not Schott 1827
  • Ficus cordata Kunth & C.D.Bouché 1846 not Thunb. 1786
  • Ficus elastica var. belgica L.H.Bailey & E.Z.Bailey
  • Ficus elastica var. benghalensis Blume
  • Ficus elastica var. decora Guillaumin
  • Ficus elastica var. karet (Miq.) Miq.
  • Ficus elastica var. minor Miq.
  • Ficus elastica var. odorata (Miq.) Miq.
  • Ficus elastica var. rubra L.H.Bailey & E.Z.Bailey
  • Ficus karet (Miq.) King
  • Ficus skytinodermis Summerh.
  • Ficus taeda Kunth & C.D.Bouché
  • Macrophthalma elastica (Roxb. ex Hornem.) Gasp.
  • Visiania elastica (Roxb. ex Hornem.) Gasp.

Ficus elastica, the rubber fig, rubber bush, rubber tree, rubber plant, or Indian rubber bush, Indian rubber tree, is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae, native to eastern parts of South and Southeast Asia. It has become naturalized in Sri Lanka, the West Indies, and the US state of Florida.[2][3] Despite its common names, it is not used in the commercial production of natural rubber.

Description

It is a large tree in the

buttressing roots
to anchor it in the soil and help support heavy branches.

It has broad shiny oval leaves 10–35 cm (4–14 in) long and 5–15 cm (2–6 in) broad; leaf size is largest on young plants (occasionally to 45 cm or 17+1⁄2 in long), much smaller on old trees (typically 10 cm or 4 in 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.

Pollination and fruiting

As with other members of the genus

pollinating
insect is present.

Range

The natural range of F. elastica extends from

Northeastern India, Myanmar, Yunnan in China, and Malaysia. It has been widely introduced in most tropical regions of the world, including Hawaii and the West Indies. In Europe, it can be found in mild locations throughout the Mediterranean Basin
.

Cultivation and uses

Aerial roots of Ficus elastica being formed into a bridge in Meghalaya, India

In parts of India, people guide the roots of the tree over chasms to eventually form

living bridges.[4] To this day there are large bridges woven from aerial roots in Meghalaya, India. Although the trees used for these bridges are very large, aerial roots can be found on F. elastica as small as 1ft tall.

Ornamental

Ficus elastica is grown around the world as an ornamental plant, outside in frost-free climates (though it also tolerates light frosts) 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 it to spread naturally is not present there.

Most cultivated plants are produced by

cuttings or by layering
.

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. Ornamental hybrids (such as Robusta) have been derived from Ficus elastica with broader, stiffer and more upright leaves than the wild form. Many such hybrids exist, often with variegated leaves.

Latex

All parts of the plant contain an abundant milky white

rubber, but without economic and technical results.[citation needed
]

Just as with Hevea brasiliensis, the latex of Ficus elastica is an irritant to the eyes and skin and is toxic if taken internally.[5]

Gallery

  • Illustration from Köhler's Medicinal Plants (1887)
    Illustration from Köhler's Medicinal Plants (1887)
  • An 1854 illustration of Ficus elastica trained as a living bridge
    An 1854 illustration of Ficus elastica trained as a
    living bridge
  • Ficus elastica leaf on the left compared to Ficus lutea on the right
    Ficus elastica leaf on the left compared to Ficus lutea on the right
  • The figs of F. elastica
    The figs of F. elastica
  • Ficus elastica near the roadside in Savusavu, Fiji, showing the effects of constant pruning on the growth form.
    Ficus elastica near the roadside in Savusavu, Fiji, showing the effects of constant pruning on the growth form.
  • A huge Ficus elastica tree in Ghana showing the aerial roots.
    A huge Ficus elastica tree in Ghana showing the aerial roots.
  • Many cultivars, such as this Ficus elastica 'Robusta', are common in the houseplant trade
    Many cultivars, such as this Ficus elastica 'Robusta', are common in the houseplant trade
  • A variegated cultivar
    A
    variegated
    cultivar
  • Ficus elastica, commonly called the rubber plant.
    Ficus elastica, commonly called the rubber plant.
  • Ficus black
    Ficus black

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ficus elastica.
  1. ^ "The Plant List". Archived from the original on 2019-07-02. Retrieved 2018-03-11.
  2. ^ a b Zhengyi Wu, Zhe-Kun Zhou & Michael G. Gilbert. "Ficus elastica". Flora of China. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA. Archived from the original on 20 April 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
  3. ^ "Flora of North America, Ficus elastica Roxburgh ex Hornemann, 1819. India rubber plant". Archived from the original on 2018-04-29. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
  4. ^ "Living Root Bridges". Archived from the original on 2018-06-21. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
  5. ^ MacDonald, Elvin "The World Book of House Plants" Popular Books
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