Indian Journal of Natural Products and Resources Vol. 8(1), March 2017, pp. 9-17 Search for rubber in pre-Hevea brasiliensis days and establishment of H. brasiliensis in India Anantanarayanan Raman1 and Chaendaekettu Narayanan2* 1Charles Sturt University & Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, PO Box 883, Orange, NSW 2800, Australia 2Rubber Research Institute of India, Rubber Board PO, Kottayam 686 009, Kerala, India Received 03 June 2016; Revised 22 January 2017 Natural rubber, obtained from the spurge Hevea brasiliensis, is a material of high relevance in modern industrialized society. Its uses are manifold. In spite of a stiff competition from synthetic rubber and plastic, natural rubber is still in demand and large plantations of it are presently exploited for an uninterrupted supply. H. brasiliensis was introduced into India from Brazil, through a circuitous route, thanks to Dietrich Brandis (then Inspector General of Forests, Government of India), who directed operations in the 1870s. The present article explores the historical landmark events that occurred before Brandis’s decision on its introduction into India and after, supplemented by relevant notations. The fascinating subplot in the story of H. brasiliensis introduction into India is the search for plant sources of ‘rubber’ within the subcontinent and how a non-edible fig species Ficus elastica was looked at, quite rigorously, as an invaluable material in this context. Early efforts made by the Rubber Research Institute of India, Kottayam in independent India include the development of a productive clone RRII 105, which has revolutionized rubber production in Indian in the recent decades. Keywords: Central Travancore, Dietrich Brandis, Economic relevance, Ficus elastica, Hugh Cleghorn, John Royle, Joseph Hooker, Malabar, William Roxburgh, William Griffith. IPC code; Int. cl. (2015.01)−Ao1H 5/00 Introduction by coagulating either spontaneously or applying heat, Natural rubber is a biomaterial of high importance smoke, or mechanical devices. In the later decades of today. Think of an Airbus A380 (22 wheels, the 19th and earlier decades of the 20th centuries, c. 600,000 kg when fully loaded). Its natural-rubber caoutchouc and gutta percha meant rubber. Caoutchouc tyres, reinforced with steel ribs, withstand a variety generically referred to the raw-rubber latex in French- of operational conditions. During landing these speaking nations, whereas it meant the refined tyres experience a runway-friction coefficient of material in English-speaking nations1. The term 0.40 and above in normal day conditions, in addition caoutchouc (weeping tree) evolved from the Central- to enduring highly dynamic braking loads. The American indigenous name cau-cho (que-chu-a) nitrogen-filled tyres smoothen and cushion the referring to Castilla elastica (Family Moraceae) that harsh, friction-intensive landing of the aircraft. This naturally and plentifully occurs in the Amazon. Gutta adequately illuminates the strength and durability this percha is similar to the rubber of H. brasiliensis material — rubber — has, of course, after treating the source, but is obtained from the latex of plants such as raw latex of Hevea brasiliensis (Family Euphorbiaceae) Palaquium (Family Sapotaceae) that occur in the with various vulcanizing accelerators. Malaysian islands of Borneo (1° 0′ N, 114° 0′ E) and The latex of plants belonging to the Family Apocynaceae Sarawak (3°04’ N, 113°78’ E), and in North-Eastern (and ex-Asclepiadaceae), Euphorbiaceae, Moraceae, segments of India (26° 0′ N, 92° 7′ E). Gutta percha is and Asteraceae provide natural rubber (hereafter the anglicized Malay term gutta perça, which means ‘rubber’). However, presently, rubber is almost sap of perça, the sap of Palaquium. The gutta exclusively obtained from H. brasiliensis (the Pará- material is a 1-4-trans-poly-isoprene and is nearly rubber tree, Fig. 1). The finished product is produced identical to the molecular structure of H. brasiliensis rubber2. One contemporary use of gutta percha is —————— filling teeth cavities3. How the term ‘rubber’ came *Correspondent author Email: [email protected] about is a fascinating element in the rubber story. 10 INDIAN J NAT PROD RESOUR, MARCH 2017 Fig. 1—Hevea brasiliensis. Source: Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen in Naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit Kurz Erläuterndem Texte45 Joseph Priestley4, British chemist‒mathematician, found that the coagulated latex of H. brasiliensis can erase (‘rub’ off) lead-pencil markings. He says ‘…, I have seen a substance excellently adapted to the purpose of wiping from paper the marks of a black-lead-pencil. It must, therefore, be of singular use to those who practise drawing’. th From the later decades of 18 century, interest in Fig. 2—Urceola elastica. Source: Wight’s Icones Plantarum Indiæ rubber, especially of H. brasiliensis, known as the Orientalis46 [The explanation “Plates bearing the legend ‘India rubber’, fascinated several Western chemist ‘Roxburghianae’ represent redrawing of Roxburgh’s unpublished ‒physicists and inventors, such as Samuel Peal, plates now at the Calcutta Botanic Garden, and thus represent Roxburghian species as described in his Flora Indica.” occurs at Charles Macintosh, Thomas Hancock, and Charles the start of Wight’s Icones Plantarum, Volume 2.] The notation 5,6 Goodyear . European residents in the Straits ‘Dumphy Lith.’ at the right bottom of the image refers to John Settlements became interested in rubber-yielding, Dumphy, who was the lithographer at Fort St. George Press, th laticiferous plants, mainly because of their economic Madras, in mid 19 century. Dumphy was involved with the preparation of Robert Wight’s Icones Plantarum in 1839 prospects. James Howison, a practising surgeon in (Database of Scientific Illustrators, 1450—1950, http://www.uni- Penang (5° 24′ N, 100° 14′ E) proposed planting of stuttgart.de/hi/gnt/dsi2/index) Urceola elastica (Family Apocynaceae) after experimenting with its latex in rubber production7. Search for rubber in the Indian subcontinent: William Roxburgh in India8 described U. elastica Before the arrival of H. brasiliensis formally (Fig. 2). However, with the introduction of Ficus elastica (Family Moraceae) evoked H. brasiliensis into Malesian region in the later considerable interest in India, although a few other decades of the 19th century, the erstwhile British laticiferous plants, mostly exotic, but naturalized over colonies of Malesia have become world leaders in time, such as Cryptostegia grandiflora (Family H. brasiliensis cultivation and rubber production. Apocynaceae) also evoked some interest9. In this article, the efforts made in India before William Roxburgh, then Superintendent of the the introduction of H. brasiliensis, what led to Calcutta Botanical Garden, received a rattan-cane its introduction into India, and how it was basket (rattan ― various species of genus Calamus, established as a key plantation crop in Malabar Family Arecaceae) bearing gifts from a friend in and Central Travancore regions in modern Kerala is Sylhet in 1810. The lining the basket attracted explored. Roxburgh. On examination, he found that the lining RAMAN & NARAYANAN: INTRODUCTION OF RUBBER IN INDIA 11 was a thin coat of caoutchouc10, which he later F. elastica was first described by William realized was from a ‘fig’ taxon. He described Roxburgh in his magnum opus Hortus Bengalensis this ‘fig’ as F. elastica in 181411. He sent a sample (1814). A redescription of F. elastica was provided by of the lining material to David Brewster, a physicist Danish botanist Jens Wilken Hornemann in 1832. The in London for analysis. Brewster12 found that Penny Magazine article also offers other, equally the material was elastic, similar to the South- fascinating, information on the ways by which the American rubber, and was ‘superior’ to the South- American-Indians ‘processed’ rubber material from American rubber in terms of lightness of colour and F. elastica and how the Indian-Indians ‘processed’ being free of foetid stench. The rationale behind the rubber material F. elastica. A remark, in the same naming of this plant as F. elastica by Roxburgh is article, obvious. ‘The Indians [sic. the Indian-Indians] had William Griffith13, an Assistant Surgeon on long been in the habit of making boots of deputation from Madras Medical Service to the caoutchouc, which were perfectly waterproof.’ Bhutan mission, stumbled on populations of F. is worthy of exploration clarifying what do ‘boots’ elastica during his travel into the forests of Bengal, mean and how Indians made them. made via Férôzepur (British Library, Digitized John Forbes Royle in his Illustrations of the Manuscript: IOR/F/4/1787/73597). Griffith talked Botany, and other branches of the Natural History of about the size, geographical locations, and abundance the Himalayan Mountains, and of the Flora of of this species. He indicated his interest in this tree as Cashmere (1835) refers to H. brasiliensis, while triggered by Roxburgh and also by one Matthew talking of Euphorbiaceae15: Richard Smith, a planter at Sylhet. With regard to the latex (referred as ‘juice’), Griffith explained its extraction. He compared the biological properties of F. elastica of Bengal (Sylhet) with those known in Assam, and with the South-American populations of H. brasiliensis in the context of cultivation (like making cuttings and planting), and F. elastica’s value as a ‘new’ product. Griffith also remarked on ‘bottling’ F. elastica latex. An ink drawing of a twig, captioned ‘Ficus elastica Roxburgh’, is available in Griffith (ibid) (Fig. 3). Documentation on F. elastica-source ‘rubber’ occurred in the Penny Magazine of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge of London14: ‘The juice of this valuable plant (sic. Ficus elastica) is used by the natives of Silhet (sic. Sylhet) to smear over the inside of baskets constructed of split rattan, which thus rendered water-tight. Old trees yield richer juice than young one. The milk is extracted by incisions made across the bark down to the wood, at a distance of a foot (c. 30 cm) from each other, all round the trunk or branch, up to the top of the tree, and the higher the more abundant is the fluid said to be.