Noun
A concrete juice produced by various trees found in the Malayan archipelago, especially by the Isonandra, / Dichopsis, Gutta. It becomes soft, and unpressible at the tamperature of boiling water, and, on cooling, retains its new shape. It dissolves in oils and ethers, but not in water. In many of its properties it resembles caoutchouc, and it is extensively used for many economical purposes. The Mimusops globosa of Guiana also yields this material.
Source: Webster's dictionarygutta percha
Construction Transatlantic cables of the 19th century consisted of an outer layer of iron and later steel wire, wrapping India rubber, wrapping gutta-percha, which surrounded a multi-stranded copper wire at the core. Source: Internet
Some produce other desirable materials, for example gutta-percha ( Palaquium gutta ) citation and chicle from Manilkara species. Source: Internet