Hevea

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A genus of tropical trees known for producing natural rubber from their latex
2. Trees belonging to a group that yields natural rubber, commonly found in tropical climates
3. A category of plants that produce latex used to harvest natural rubber, chiefly grown in warm, humid regions

Etymology: Hevea is the botanical name of a genus of tropical trees, and the best-known species, Hevea brasiliensis, is the source of most commercial natural rubber. The genus name was itself taken from a local word. In Brazil the tree was known by names that Portuguese and European botanists recorded, and the botanical Latin form "Hevea" was adopted as the genus name, so the word began as a native vernacular term before becoming a scientific label. The tree gave the world its rubber, and the word reached English only through the scientific naming of the plant rather than through everyday speech. Because it is a genus name, it is used in Latin form in botany and forestry, while the common English name for the material it produces remains "rubber."