Hevea brasiliensis (A.Juss.) M�ll.Arg., Euphorbiaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Siphonia brasiliensis Willd. ex A. Juss.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: xiang jiao shu

English: Brazilian rubber tree, Para rubber tree, hevea, natural rubber, rubbertree

Fijian: rapa

French: arbre de Para, caoutchouc, hévéa

Spanish: árbol del caucho, cauchotero de Pará, jebe, siringa

Habit:  tree

Description:  "A more or less deciduous tree to 20 m tall with smooth grayish trunk; leaves of 3 distinct, elliptic entire, petiolulate leaflets, each 10-20 cm long, narrowed-acute at both ends; flowers in open axillary panicles half as long as the leaf; flowers small, greenish-yellow; calyx 5-lobed; white-tomentose; petals none; capsules subglobose 3-lobed, woody, 5-7 cm thick, brown; seeds oblong, mottled brown, nearly 2.5 cm long" (Stone, 1970; p. 379).

Habitat/ecology:  "Although Hevea brasiliensis evolved in moist to well drained tropical rainforests it can tolerate drier conditions or occasionally slight drought, to which it responds by shedding leaves.  It germinates best under semi-shade, and grows quickly without branching towards the light above"  (Swarbrick, 1997; p. 38).

Propagation:  Seed.  "The seeds may be ejected for up to 15 m by the explosion of mature fruits, but otherwise have few means of dispersal" (Swarbrick, 1997; p. 38).

Native range:  Amazonian South America; widely cultivated throughout the tropics as a source of natural rubber (Swarbrick, 1997; p. 38).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 140)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced cultivated	Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. (2010) (p. 86) Vouchers cited: S.F. Glassman 2411 (BIAH), M. Takamatsu 798 (BISH)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1936) (voucher ID: BISH 143121) Taxon name on voucher: Hevea brasiliensis (A.Juss.) Müll.Arg.
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1936) (voucher ID: BISH 143122) Taxon name on voucher: Hevea brasiliensis (A.Juss.) Müll.Arg.
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1949) (voucher ID: BISH 143123) Taxon name on voucher: Hevea brasiliensis (A.Juss.) Müll.Arg.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (p. 540) Mostly in abandoned plantations. Vouchers cited: DA 12458, Smith 9440, DA 16030, DF 432 (Damanu 97)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1968) (voucher ID: BISH 33153) Taxon name on voucher: Hevea brasiliensis (A.Juss.) Müll.Arg.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1953) (voucher ID: BISH 143119) Taxon name on voucher: Hevea brasiliensis (A.Juss.) Müll.Arg.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Cultivée
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 42)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		Brel, Marcello (year unknown)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 140)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1950) (voucher ID: BISH 143120) Taxon name on voucher: Hevea brasiliensis (A.Juss.) Müll.Arg.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1968) (voucher ID: BISH 428561) Taxon name on voucher: Hevea brasiliensis (A.Juss.) Müll.Arg.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1967) (voucher ID: BISH 438027) Taxon name on voucher: Hevea brasiliensis (A.Juss.) Müll.Arg.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1967) (voucher ID: BNM 337) Taxon name on voucher: Hevea brasiliensis
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	introduced cultivated	Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (p. 450) Cultivated.
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Savai‘i Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (pp. 9-10) Voucher: Flynn 6959 (PTBG, SAMOA)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Savai‘i Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 287) Taxon name on voucher: Hevea brasiliensis
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1973) (voucher ID: BISH 417444) Taxon name on voucher: Hevea brasiliensis (A.Juss.) Müll.Arg.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Cultivated for rubber. S. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Yunnan.
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 48) Naturalised
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Colombia	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	introduced cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Christmas Island Group	Christmas Island	introduced cultivated	Swarbrick, J. T. (1997) (pp. 38, 115) From remnants from plantations. Naturalized
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Frégate Island		Robertson, S. A./Todd, D. M. (1983) (p. 50)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

Comments:  Seen along the road to Vaipouli College, Savai‘i, Samoa (Space & Flynn, 2002). May also be on Upolu, Samoa (Bill Cable, pers. com.). Should be monitored for possible spread.

Reported naturalizing on Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) (Swarbrick, 1997; p. 38).

Control: 

Chemical: "Pending the results of field trials seedlings should be sprayed with 2% Roundup plus Pulse in clean water when in full leaf, and saplings and trees basal bark treated with 10% Garlon 600 in diesel oil" (Swarbrick, 1997; p. 38).