Table 1.

Important rubber-producing organisms

Organism type	Examples	Rubber type	Contents/applications	Reference(s)
Higher organisms	Hevea brasiliensis (rubber tree), Taraxacum kok-saghyz (Russian dandelion), Parthenium argentatum (guayule), Dyera costulata (jelutong)	cis isomer	Technical applications (e.g., fabrication of automobile tires)	5, 30, 44, 62
Lower organisms/two major classes of fungi	Ascomycetes, Basidiomycetes	Low-mol-wt rubber		61
Plant species	Eucommia ulmoides (Tochu), Euonymus europaeus (Celastraceae), Manikara zapota (chicle), Mimusops balata (balata), Palaquium gutta (gutta-percha)	trans isomer	Cable insulation, belting, conveyors, decorative objects, golf ball covers, chewing gum	1