The India-rubber tree is known by several synonyms, including the rubber tree, Brazilian rubber tree, Para rubber tree, and Hevea tree. These names all refer to the same species of tree, Hevea brasiliensis, which is native to the Amazon rainforest in South America. The tree produces a milky latex sap which is used to make rubber. The name India-rubber may have originated from the fact that rubber was first imported to Europe from India, and the tree was later discovered in South America. Today, the rubber tree is widely cultivated in tropical regions around the world, including Southeast Asia, Africa, and India.