BORNEO RUBBER

(Willughbeia coriacea)

 Borneo rubber

Family:  Apocynaceae

Synonyms: Willughbeia firma

Borneo rubber grows wild in South Thailand, Malay Peninsula, Java and Sumatra, Borneo etc.  It bears very good quality fruits which are popularly eaten by local people.

Description:

A woody climber.

            Fruits light orange.

Utilization:

The fruits are edible and eaten fresh.  These are very pleasant to eat.

            The plant yields a cautchouc which is collected by local people.  This cautchouc, however, inferior to that obtained from Hevea trees and therefore does not have much demand.

Cultivation:

Borneo rubber plants can be raised from seed.  These are very prolific bearers.  One can sometimes see a vine bearing hundreds of fruits at different stages of development.