This study was undertaken aiming to evaluate and to select by their vi
gor six different rubber tree [Hevea brasiliensis (Willd. ex. Adr. de
Juss.) Muell. Arg.] rootstocks, GT 1, RRIM 701, PB 235, IAN 873, RRIM
600 and unselected seedlings for a better performance of the rubber in
dustry of Sao Paulo State (Brazil). For correlations the characters st
udied were: stem diameters (DC) height (AP), whorls number (NL) and av
erage distance between the whorls of leaves (TL). The results of analy
sis of variance showed significative differences among rootsocks conce
rned to DC. AP and NL. The RRIM 600 rootstocks showed the least variab
ility, and the heighest was that obtained from clone PB 235, with valu
es of 22,88% and 28,12%, respectively. The correlation values between
DC and AP and DC with NL were highly significatives. The correlatation
coefficients values between NL and TL for all studied rootstocks were
negative and highly significatives showing that as larger is the numb
er of whorls of leaves, lesser is their size. The high correlation of
DC with AP, and DC with NL, showed that it is possible to obtain vigor
ous rootstocks through early selection for those characters.