What is the scientific name of the rubber tree, native to the Amazon?

The scientific name of the rubber tree native to the Amazon is Hevea brasiliensis.

Also called the Pará rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis belongs to the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. It originally grew in the Amazon Basin but is now cultivated throughout tropical regions, especially Southeast Asia. The tree produces milky latex in vessels beneath its bark; that latex is the world's most important natural source of rubber.

Rubber collection helped drive the Amazon rubber boom from roughly 1840 to 1913. Cities such as Manaus, Belém, Santarém and Iquitos grew wealthy as demand increased. The discovery of vulcanization in 1839 made rubber more durable and expanded its industrial uses.

The species name is easy to confuse with other latex-producing trees. Castilla elastica, for example, was used by Mesoamerican peoples to make rubber, while Ficus elastica is the familiar ornamental rubber plant. Neither is the Amazon species that dominates natural-rubber production. In the wild, Hevea brasiliensis can reach about 43 metres, although tapped plantation trees are usually smaller.