rainforest plants: Trees
 
A short summary
The Tualang tree can be found in Malaysia. It can grow to over 250 feet tall, making it the sixth largest tree species in the world. The Blue Gum tree in Queendland is the second tallest tree.    One well-known tree is the Rubber tree, the tree where you get latex.   Many believes that chocolate was from the cocoa tree, which is wrong. In fact, you get coconuts from a cocoa tree and definitely not chocolate.

 

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Picture showing the multiples species of plants found
in a tropical rainforest
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The Tualang tree can be found in Malaysia. It can grow to over 250 feet tall, making it the sixth largest tree species in the world. The sap of this tree is irritating to the skin and produce an inflammation like erysipelas. The timber is highly inflammable, more so when fresh than dead.

MORE INFO ON THE WEB

http://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/nx/malaysia/malaysia.html
A very interesting account of how the locals harvest honey from the Arpis dorsata, a large species of bee that can reach 1 inche in length!

Another tree, which can found is the Blue Gum. Native to Victoria, at the north east corner of Australia where there is a tiny patch of rainforest, the Blue Gum tree can grow to over 320 feet tall, making it the second tallest tree in the world.

Another really tall tree is the Brazil nut tree. Across South America it is known by different names from Castana in Peru, Almendra in Bolivia and Castanha do Para in Brazil. It is known for its commercial product, the Brazil nut. Infact it is the only international exported food that comes from a natural forest. This is due to the fact that the local farmers were unable to cultivate the trees. Found in tropical rainforests of Brazil, Bolivia and Peru, this tree has an umbrella shaped crown and is truly a giant, reaching a height of 200 feet and 15 feet across. The tree blooms in early October where yellow flowers are produced. 14 months later, the pods would have developed and the nuts inside are ready to be eaten.

Canopy

One well-known tree is the Rubber tree. They grow abundantly in rainforests, and are commonly grown for their latex. Latex is used in the manufacturing of rubber. The first step in making rubber is to cut diagonally across the trunk of the tree, causing white latex sap to ooze out. After a bit of time this valued latex dries, making it ready to use. Though the tree is scarred at the trunk and takes three months to heal, it is not chopped down like many other productive trees in the rain forest are. Thus, it can be used time and time again.

The Cacao tree, which is famous for its chocolate can also be found here. The tree produces large nutritive seeds in pods which hangs down from branches. This seeds are the origin of chocolate. However many believes that chocolate was from the cocoa tree, which is wrong. In fact, you get coconuts from a cocoa tree and definitely not chocolate. The dried seed of the cacao tree can be grind to form a powder used to make the beverage we all know, coco.

MORE INFO ON THE WEB

http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/rforest/plants/
This is a very good site .  Has information about the various plants in the tropical rainforest.