Ficus elastica rubber making. Just as with "Hevea brasiliensis", the latex of "Ficus elastica" is an irritant to the eyes and skin and is toxic if taken internally. Ficus elastica Ficus elastica, the rubber fig, rubber bush, rubber tree, rubber plant, or Indian rubber bush, Indian rubber tree, is a species of plant in the fig genus, native to eastern parts of South Asia and southeast Asia. It has become naturalized in Sri Lanka, the West Indies, and the US State of Florida. It is a large tree in the banyan group of figs, growing to (rarely up to ) tall, with
Ficus hispida it parasitizes the other fig wasp "Ceratosolen solmsi". The yet unnamed nematode species "Caenorhabditis sp. 35" has been found in Aceh, Indonesia, associated with the tree. Ficus hispida Ficus hispida is a small but well distributed species of tropical fig tree. It occurs in many parts of Asia and as far south east as Australia. There is a large variety of local common names. Like a number of ficus, the leaves are sandpapery to touch. An unusual feature is the figs which hang on long stems. In Australia the fruit are eaten by cassowaries and double-eyed fig parrots. Phayre's leaf