Manicoba rubber tree (Manihot glaziovii)

Manicoba Rubber tree is a medium size,fast growing deciduous tree. It is also known as Ceara rubber tree. It belongs to Euphorbiaceae family. It is closely related to Manihot esculenta, of which root tubers are used as a staple food mainly in Kerala in India.

Manihot glaziovii tree

It is native to the neotropics, between Arizona and Argentina. It is a drought resistant tree. In winter it is leafless. But otherwise it is an attractive tree with dense foliage. By regular trimming, one can shape it to desired size and shape.Its leaves are palmate. The wood is brittle. As the tree matures, its stem looks brownish with rough, horney surface. Paper thin skin peels off in many places. Flowers are greenish-white in colour. It is a Monoicous tree, meaning bearing male (staminate) and female (pistillate) flowers on the same tree. The fruit is a capsule of about 2cm in diameter. Matured fruit explode and the seeds are scattered far and wide. Seeds are glossy with black, brown and white splashes. This plant can be propagated with seeds or stem cuttings. Its latex is reported to have insecticidal and anti-fungal properties.

Manihot glaziovii leaves

Manihot glaziovii flowers

Manihot glaziovii capsule

Manihot glaziovii seeds

I always wondered why Manihot glaziovii was called as 'Manicoba Rubber tree'. One day I found that some gum had oozed out of the trunk. When I saw it, it was dry. The dry blob of the gum was only about 3mm in diameter. When I pulled it, I got the answer why it is called as a rubber tree. See it yourself in the video.

Now I understand that it has been used to make Ceará rubber, named after the Brazilian state of Ceará from where it was grown and shipped.