Latex Is a Plant's Defensive Fluid
Latex is the milky sap of certain plants. It is not a nutrient but a defence, and rubber is made from one species' version.
Latex is the milky fluid produced by many plants, and by extension synthetic emulsions resembling it. It is a defence mechanism, not sap: when a leaf or stem is damaged, latex floods out, congeals and gums up the mouthparts of insects. Around ten per cent of flowering plants produce some form of it, including dandelions, figs and poppies. Natural rubber comes from the latex of *Hevea brasiliensis*, tapped by cutting the bark.
- Plant fluid. *Rubber latex.*
- A synthetic emulsion. *Latex paint.*
- Latex gloves. *Sterile latex gloves.*
- Hevea — the rubber tree. *Hevea brasiliensis.*
- Latin — *latex*, a liquid. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | latex | Natural latex. |
| Plural | latexes | Two latexes. |
| Latin plural | latices | Latices. |
| Adjective | latex | Latex paint. |
| Latin | latex | A fluid. |
- The tree yields latex when tapped.Rubber.
- Dandelion stems leak latex.Botany.
- It is a defence, not a sap.Function.
Plants that produce latex
- Rubber tree — the commercial source
- Dandelion — investigated as an alternative rubber source
- Fig — its latex is used to curdle milk in some cuisines
- Opium poppy — its latex is the source of opium
- Spurge family — many members have irritant latex
Latin *latex*, a liquid or fluid, from Greek. The botanical sense dates from the 1830s.
Is latex the same as sap?
No. Sap transports nutrients; latex is a separate defensive fluid that congeals when the plant is damaged.
Does latex paint contain rubber?
Usually not. Modern latex paint uses synthetic polymer emulsions, and the name refers to the milky appearance.