Rubber Tree
Hevea brasiliensis
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Rubber trees were the foundation for the world’s interest in plastic and rubber. The trees exude latex, which hardens into a rubbery material first utilised to create balls for an Amerindian ball game. The rubber is harvested by carefully cutting into the bark, causing minimal damage, and then placing a bucket at the base of the tree to collect the dripping latex. The rubber boom collapsed in the early 1900s but has left its mark on the region forever. The Amazon cities of Iquitos, Manaus, and Belem all profited greatly from the boom, and the impact is obvious when walking their streets. The rubber industry was one of the main causes of migration to the area resulting in architectural and culinary influences from a variety of different cultures, lasting to this day.
The Rubber Boom
The indigenous Indians knew of the rubber tree’s existence originally because the seeds, once treated, were a source of food. The Omagua Indians used the rubber to make a variety of items, such as water bottles, elastic bands, and balls. Europeans discovered the Omagua use of rubber, but latex wasn’t a stable material until Charles Goodyear discovered the process of vulcanisation in 1839. Towards the middle of the 19th century, exploitation of the rubber tree was under way. This was to great benefit for the Amazon cities of Manaus and Iquitos. Fortunes were obtained from the rubber boom, especially during the 1890s when the bicycle craze began. The rubber barons prospered heavily exploiting the local rubber tappers. Despite attempts by Brazil to keep the monopoly on rubber, seeds were smuggled out of the country. They made their way to Kew Gardens in England where they successfully germinated and were then exported to Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Singapore. After 1910, most of the world’s rubber came from Malaysia. The collapse of the rubber industry in the Amazon was caused mainly by fungal disease i.e. leaf blight. Natural rubber now mainly comes from the South East Asian plantations.
