Morphological characteristics of lacquer tree

Deciduous tree, up to 20M, 80CM diameter at breast height. The bark is grayish white and smooth at first, and shallowly cracked when old. There is milky white lacquer liquid inside the branches. Pinnate compound leaves, drupes are flat kidney-shaped, light yellow and smooth. Flowering period is May-June; fruits mature in October.

Morphological characteristics of rubber tree

Large tree, up to 30 meters; rich in latex. Palmate compound leaves with 3 leaflets, petioles up to 15 cm long, with 2 (3-4) glands at the top; leaflets are elliptical, 10-25 cm long, with short tails at the apex, cuneate base, entire, glabrous, 10-16 pairs of lateral veins, obvious reticulate veins, and petiolules 1-2 cm long. Inflorescences are axillary, conical, up to 16 cm long, and covered with grayish white soft hairs. The calyx lobes of male flowers are ovate-lanceolate, about 2 mm long; there are 10 stamens in 2 whorls; the calyx lobes of female flowers are larger than those of male flowers, and there are 3 stigmas. Flowering period is April-July, and the fruiting period is August-December. The capsule is oval, 5-6 cm in diameter, with 3 longitudinal grooves. The seeds are light gray-brown with spots. Flowering period is April-July, and the fruiting period is August-December. It is native to Brazil and widely cultivated in tropical Asia. It is cultivated in Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi and southern Yunnan, and some high-quality cold-resistant and high-yield varieties have been bred. Rubber can be made into more than 40,000 products such as tires, machine parts, insulation materials, rubber shoes, raincoats, etc., and is an important raw material for national defense and civilian industries.

Different ecological habits

Ecological habits of lacquer trees

Like light, not shade-tolerant; like warm and humid climate and deep, fertile and well-drained soil, and can grow on acidic, neutral and calcareous soils. It is not resistant to water and humidity, has a short lifespan, has strong germination ability, and can sprout and renew after the tree ages.

Ecological habits of rubber trees

Rubber trees are positive plants. They like high temperature, humid, sunny places, and the suitable growth temperature is 23-32℃, with 70-100% sunshine. They are heat-resistant but not cold-resistant and drought-resistant. They will be frozen when the temperature is below 5℃.

Different main production areas

Main production areas of lacquer trees

Except Heilongjiang, Jilin, Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang, lacquer trees are cultivated in other provinces and regions in China; lacquer trees are also distributed in India, North Korea and Japan.

Main production areas of rubber trees

Originally produced in Brazil, they are mainly distributed within 10° north and south latitudes. The main production areas are Brazil, followed by Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Venezuela and Bolivia. They have been distributed in more than 40 countries and regions in Asia, Africa, Oceania and Latin America. The countries with the largest planting areas include Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, China, India, Vietnam, Nigeria, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Liberia, etc., and the most widely planted in Southeast Asian countries. The rubber planting areas introduced and cultivated in China are mainly distributed in Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Yunnan, and Taiwan, among which Hainan is the main rubber planting area.