Gutta-Percha

The leafy tip of a gutta-percha (Palaquium gutta) branch is shown, along with enlarged depictions of a bud, a fully open flower, and a fruit.

Gutta-percha is a tree in the family Sapotaceae, referred to in this illustration by its older synonym Isonandra gutta. It originates in the Malay Peninsula, whose sap is used to produce a latex called gutta-percha. This latex was widely used in the nineteenth century in a broad range of applications, such as electrical insulation, dentistry, and more, until it came to be generally replaced by synthetic materials.

Palaquium gutta is an evergreen that grows up to about 65 ft. (20 m) tall and produces small white flowers.