Fig. 1

SEM–EDS micrographs and chemical mapping of stem cross-sections from two plants collected on Lingga Island, Indonesia, particle size, 4.69–11.3 microns. This agrees with botanical references indicating the presence of small and large particles in latex of the same species [16, 33]. a SEM–EDS micrograph of latex in laciferous canals in Palaquium burcki and chemical mapping of a stem cross-section showing Mg, K, Si and Ca in latex; K and Ca are considered contributors to the oxidation of latex [24,25,26], scale 200 µm. During SEM examination, the latex granules opened and combined into larger droplets, visible here as ‘blue’, round pools of fluid latex. b A cross-section of a 3-month-old seedling stem from Lingga Island, diameter of latex particles 4.69–11.3 µm; the larger appear to be clusters of smaller spheres; scale 20 µm. (Photo credit: H. Szczepanowska, 2018)