Castilla elastica 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 gathered from "Castilla elastica" was converted into usable rubber by mixing the latex with the juice of the morning glory species "Ipomoea alba" which, conveniently, is typically found in the wild as a vine climbing "Castilla elastica". The rubber produced by this method found several uses, including most notably, the manufacture of balls for the Mesoamerican ballgame "ōllamaliztli". The Aztec
Ficus pumila Ficus pumila Ficus pumila (creeping fig or climbing fig) is a species of flowering plant in the mulberry family, native to East Asia (China, Japan, Vietnam) and naturalized in parts of the southeastern and south-central United States. It is also found in cultivation as a houseplant. The etymology of the species name corresponds to the Latin word "pumilus" meaning "dwarf", and refers to the very small leaves of the plant. "Ficus pumila" is a woody evergreen vine, growing to . The juvenile foliage is much smaller and thinner than mature leaves produced as the plant ages. This plant requires the