GUTTA-PERCHA

yellowish or brownish leathery material derived from the latex of certain trees in Malaysia, the South Pacific, and South America, especially Palaquium oblongifolia and, formerly, P. gutta. To obtain the latex, the tree may be felled and rings cut in the bark; in plantation cultivation the fresh leaves are gathered, chopped, and crushed. The mass is boiled in water and the gum removed and pressed into blocks. On heating, gutta-percha becomes plastic and is very resistant to water. It has been widely used as insulation for underwater electrical equipment and cables, in the manufacture of golf balls, and in chewing gum. In the second half of the 20th century it steadily lost ground to synthetics. Gutta-percha closely resembles balata, obtained from Bumelia retusa, and chicle.