 |
Charles Zidar
ANCIENT MAYA BOTANICAL RESEARCH |
|
| Family: | Euphorbiaceae | | Genus: | Hevea | | Species: | brasiliensis | | Authority: | (Willd. ex A.Juss.) Mull. Arg. | | Common Name: | rubber tree | | Maya Plant Use: | Rubber Tree - Latex or laticifers, termed "rubber" by Sir Joseph Priestley in 1770 when he used it to rub errors from a piece of paper. Aztecs used Castilla elastica. Later Havea brasiliensis was used. In 1823, Charles Macintosh used rubber as a waterproof jacket. In 1839, Charles Goodyear developed vulcanization. Synthetic rubber is made by polymerizing either butadiene or styrene molecules obtained from alcohol, coal, or petroleum. Over two-thirds of rubber goes toward making tires. (Simpson and Ogorzaly 1995)
| | Ritual Significance: | Hevea brasiliensis? and Castilla elastica were prized by the ancient Maya for the liquid latex that was harvested to create the ceremonial ball for the ritual ballgame. A rubber ball can be seen on this polychrome ceramic. | | Notes: | S. America only? | | Photos: | Click on an image below for high resolution comparison. |
| |
