Castilla elastica (Nahuatl) word for rubber was "ulli / olli", from which their word for the ballgame derived), and also their name for the ancient people they associated with the origin of the ballgame, the Olmecs ("olmeca": "rubber people"). The Nahuatl word for the tree of "Castilla elastica" is olicuáhuitl; in Spanish it is known as palo de hule. Caucho, castilloa rubber. Castilla elastica Castilla elastica, the Panama rubber tree, is a tree native to the tropical areas of Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. It was the principal source of latex among the Mesoamerican peoples in pre-Columbian times. The latex
Ficus superba var. henneana In 1868 it was named "Ficus henneana". Joseph Banks also collected this plant from the Booby Island on August 23, 1770. That specimen may have been from the same tree as Henne's specimen, (as the island is so small). Banks' plant was named in 1901 after the Endeavor's artist Sydney Parkinson, (Ficus parkinsonii). However, this name fell out of favour as "Ficus henneana" was already named in 1868. The specific epithet "superba" is from Latin referring to "outstanding" or "superb". The plant has had other scientific names, such as "Ficus gracilipes", "Ficus pritzelii" and "Urostigma superbum". The tree is semi