Hevea brasiliensisHevea brasiliensis, commonly known as the rubber tree, Orinoco rubber tree,shiringa or seringueira (from the Portuguese), is a tree of the Euphorbiaceae family, 20 to 30 m tall (exceptionally 45 m). The trunk is straight and cylindrical, 30 to 60 cm in diameter, of white and light wood. Its leaves are trifoliate compound, alternate, 16 cm long by 6 to 7 cm wide; it partially drops its leaves during the dry season, before which the leaves of the tree crown turn reddish. The flowers are small and gathered in large panicles. Fruits: produced from the age of 4 years, each of which is a large capsule 4 cm in diameter that opens into valves, with oil-rich seeds.