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[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]Hevea and guayule are the only two known plants that produce latex which can make commercial rubber. Structurally the two latex are essentially identical, however unlike Hevea trees which can only grow in the tropics, [/SIZE][/FONT]guayule is a desert shrub that thrives in semiarid climates.

In both world wars natural rubber had been critical to the war effort as a strategic materiel. One of the problems the Germans had in WWI was a severe shortage of rubber. By WWII rubber became even more important. When the Japanese took South East Asia they controlled nearly all of the world rubber production. At the time synthetic rubber was still experimental. Guayule was pressed into service, but the war ended before mass production could begin. Recently guayule has come under the spotlight again and the future looks bright for this valuable plant.

So what if guayule became a widespread rubber alternative to hevea? All you needed was semi-desert, that means previously unattractive territories now become more valuable. Under developed nations dependent on the major powers for rubber can now supply their own. Major powers now have less friction over rubber supplies, but wars of attrition between them are less constrained by rubber shortage.
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