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Hevea brasiliensis
Rubber
Rubber plant is
indigenous to South America. It is obtained from the milky juice (latex) of various erect,
climbing woody plants of the tropics. Today more than 50 plants yield latex; out of these only
fifteen are important. The best rubber in the market is the 'para rubber' which is got from
the plant called 'Heavea brasiliensis'; it belongs to the family 'Euphorbiaceae'. The
cultivation of rubber is known as plantation rubber which grows at an elevation of 600 to
2,000' from the sea level. The latex is produced in special cells (latex tubes) and latex
vessels, a by-product of general metabolic activity. Latex exuding from the cut surface of a
stem, leaf, or roots seal off a wound. The composition of plant latex varies considerably from
species to species. The latex is colourless milky and in the liquefied form. It has
elasticity, resistance to heat. Before processing rubber it is a very soft material but after
vulcanisation the rubber becomes hard.
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Cosmetics
"Personal beauty is a greater
recommendation
than any other letter of introduction - 'Aristotle'."
Researchers in the
field of archaeology found that the use of cosmetic did originate in Egypt. Evidences also
suggest that other ancient cultures such as India and China maintained comparable religious
practices complete with the use of 'cosmetics'. All these cultures depended for cosmetic
materials mostly on plant products such as fresh fruits, vegetable oils, fats and the pastes
of herbal plants. Modern day beauty is crisp and intelligent and wins of course a lot of help
from Mother Nature's gift.
Acacia concinna
(SHIKAI (Tamil))
A Common, prickly, scandent
bush; Common in the tropical jungles throughout India; very common in East and Central
Karnataka and is planted as a hedge plant.
The pods are largely used by the natives of India externally
as a detergent for washing the hair. The nut of the Shikai is commonly used instead of
soap.
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Sandal Wood
A Skeleton of the white sandalwood tree (Santalum album, Linn.
belongs to the family Santalaceae is the very first exhibit to greet the visitor in the middle
of the Economic Botany Gallery. The Skeleton is exhibited in two parts.
1. The portion of the main trunk alone forming one part, and
the rest of the skeleton forming the other part. The Sandal wood oil which is so highly valued
for its fragrance all over the world, is extracted from the heartwood, which is also highly
valued for carving purposes. |
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Economic
Botany