Rubber Tree Seeds (Jarred fragments)

These seeds belong to the tree Eucommia ulmoides, a rubber-producing tree native to Asia. It is sometimes called the hardy rubber tree because it is the only rubber- producing tree that is cold-tolerant. The rubber is harvested as latex. Latex is a natural plant substance, but it can also be manufactured by chemical processes. Trees produce latex to protect damaged parts from insects. In fact, if you tear a leaf of this tree, strands of latex hold the pieces together. Most natural rubber is harvested from another species, Hevea brasiliensis, but since demand is high, a special process has been developed to use the latex from E. ulmoides to produce a rubber substitute with similar properties. This species is one of nearly 9,000 plant species with a “vulnerable” conservation status because there are less than 1,000 mature trees in the wild. These seeds have evolved into this flat shape, called a samara, which enables the seed to use the wind for farther dispersion. Broken, which