Guttapercha Plants of Kyrgyzstan

GUTTA-PERCHA PLANTS

As is known, gutta-percha, or gutta, is the milky sap of gutta-percha plants. It easily coagulates in the air and turns into soft, raw gutta-percha. Gutta-percha is widely used in various industries.

Gutta is a substance that is similar in its technical properties to rubber. However, it also possesses extraordinary plasticity. When heated to 90°C, it becomes so pliable that it can be molded into any shape, which, upon cooling, does not deform and retains its qualities. Under the influence of light and oxygen, gutta becomes brittle. Like rubber, gutta has high extensibility and low electrical conductivity. Gutta retains its properties in water for a long time, which is why it is widely used for coating items that are submerged in water for extended periods.

Gutta is vulcanized with sulfur and, together with rubber, is used to manufacture various products: chemical equipment, faucets, tubes, siphons resistant to acids and alkalis, as well as medical instruments and seals for underwater cables. However, it is primarily used for making glues and pastes used for bonding rubber and leather, filling cuts in automotive tires and other rubber products.

Given the immense significance of gutta and its widespread application in the rubber industry, considerable attention is currently being paid to the study of gutta-percha plants. From a theoretical perspective, these plants represent significant interest, particularly for understanding the patterns of gutta formation in plants and for studying the ecological conditions under which it is produced. It is also interesting to explore the genetic relationships of gutta-percha plants. Furthermore, the role of gutta for the gutta-percha plants themselves is still not entirely clear.

Thus, gutta-percha plants are of interest for addressing many questions of theory and practice.

It should be noted that the flora of the USSR is not rich in gutta-percha plants. The main species of gutta-percha plants are concentrated in the tropics. "Percha" or Palaquium gutta is the primary source of gutta extraction for the global market. The same significance applies to Payena. These two species have already been used for gutta extraction for over a hundred years.

In the USSR, until the 1930s, gutta was imported from foreign countries. Only starting in 1931 was a domestic base established for gutta production.

In Kyrgyzstan, gutta-percha plants have not received due attention. Only in recent years, in connection with the comprehensive study of the plant resources of Kyrgyzstan, have gutta-percha plants begun to be researched.

Research has shown that there are very few gutta-percha plants in Kyrgyzstan. These are mainly representatives of the family Euphorbiaceae. Two species of spurge grow in the territory of the republic — Semenov's spurge and Koopman's spurge — both from the family Euphorbiaceae. Gutta has been found in the bark of their roots.

Semenov's Spurge, is a shrub up to 150 cm tall with narrow-lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate glossy leathery leaves. The leaves are up to 6 cm long, located on olive-green shoots. Young shoots are almost four-sided, while older ones are more or less rounded.

It blooms in May and June. The flowers are small, dark purple, up to 6 mm in diameter, and grow in clusters. The fruits are in the form of a ribbed capsule with blunt lobes.

It grows in shady areas of spruce, walnut, and juniper forests. It can be found in clearings among tall grass meadows. The optimal conditions are those of a shady forest, where the spurge goes through developmental stages, reaching 150 cm in height, flowering and fruiting. At the upper boundary of the forest belt and in tall grass meadows, the spurge is low-growing, usually no more than 10 cm tall, resembling a herbaceous plant.

Thus, the life form of Semenov's spurge in the conditions of Kyrgyzstan is quite plastic.

It would be interesting to trace changes in the root system depending on the growing conditions. Apparently, the root system of specimens growing in tall grass meadows at the upper boundary of the spruce forest is different, less developed. This should be taken into account when determining the raw material reserves of the plant.

Semenov's spurge is found in the forests of all regions of Kyrgyzstan, but most often in the spruce forests of the Small and Large Kemin, in the spruce forests of the Terskey Ala-Tau, located from the village of Voskresenovka to the village of Pokrovka. It is also found on the slopes of the Kungey Ala-Tau, facing Lake Issyk-Kul.

Semenov's spurge is found in the Atbashinsky and Naryn ridges, on the slopes of the Kavak-Tau. In the Kyrgyz ridge, its main masses are concentrated in the forests of the Tuyuk, Shamsi, and Kegety gorges. In Talas, it is found in the forests of the Besh-Tash gorge and in others where there is forest. In the south of Kyrgyzstan, it grows in walnut and juniper forests. It is especially common in the forests of the Chatkal, Fergana, and Uzun-Akhmat ridges, as well as in Alai.

According to N. V. Pavlov, Semenov's spurge contains only 1% gutta. Therefore, this species of spurge is apparently unprofitable for gutta extraction. Nevertheless, it is of significant interest as a species through which one can study an interesting general biological pattern — the formation of gutta. In addition, it can also be used as a source material for breeding more gutta-producing forms adapted to the specific conditions of the Tian Shan.

It should be noted that strong insolation and generally xerothermic conditions contribute to gutta production.

There are more than enough habitats of such ecology in Kyrgyzstan. Therefore, the conditions of the republic create the possibility of organizing the selection of more gutta-producing forms.

Koopman's Spurge. Compared to the previous species, it is characteristic only for the South of Kyrgyzstan. It also grows in forests, among shrubs, but sometimes settles on shady rocky slopes.

This is a low shrub, but its stems are creeping, and from them, upright ribbed shoots arise. In its young state, the shoots are green, but as they age, they become gray, and at the root neck, they turn black-brown. It has narrower leaves as well. The flowers are almost the same as those of Semenov's spurge. It blooms in June and bears fruit until September.

This spurge is uniquely decorative. Its leathery leaves and flowers are quite attractive, so it can be used not only as a gutta-producing plant but also as an ornamental plant.

There is little gutta in the bark; the root of the spurge has almost as much as Semenov's spurge. Nevertheless, this species is of significant interest as a gutta producer. It may prove to be more pliable for breeding xerophytic forms. The patterns of gutta formation can also be traced in it.

Given that the mentioned species of spurge contain a negligible amount of gutta, their industrial use in the conditions of Kyrgyzstan, as mentioned, is unprofitable. They can only be used as objects for studying the processes of gutta accumulation and as a breeding stock for developing more gutta-producing plants adapted to the xerophytic conditions of the Tian Shan.