ILEX PARAGUENSIS
TEA-TREE OF PARAGUAY.
I. Paraguensis, Mils cuneato-oblongis ellipticisve obtusis coriaceis nudis superné crenatis, umbellis subses-
silibus multifloris petiolo longioribus.
Habitat in Paraguæ sylvis, aliisque regionibus Americæ æquinoctialis.
Arbor magna, facie Citri. Rami numerosi, frondosi. Folio alterna, sempervirentia, brevé petiolata, cuneato-
oblonga sive elliptica, coriacea, obtusa, 3 - 4 pollices longa, Hr. 2 lata, utrinque plana, gabra, supra
lucida, e medio ad apicem obtusè crenata. Umbella axillaris, di v. trichotoma, multiflora, ferè sessilis.
Pedicel/i plures, glabn, uni v. pluriflori. Flores albi, tetrandri (nunc rarô 5-fidi, pentandri), magnitudine
Ihcu Aquifolii. Calyces membranacei, 4-fidi: laciniis rqtundatis, concavis. Petala quatuor, ovalia.
Baccoe Sphæricæ, rubræ, magnitudine grant Piperis, octosulcatæ, tetrapyrenæ.
F o r a knowledge of this highly interesting plant, I am indebted to the friendship of Don Jose Pavon,
who lately sent me, along with an extensive collection of other South American Plants, the specimen from
which the preceding description and figure were taken. M. Bonpland found this tree growing in the neighbourhood
of Buenos Ayres; but neither in flower nor fruit, and therefore was not certain as to the genus to which
it belonged, but conjectured it to be a new species of Ilex. He transplanted some trees of it into his garden
near Buenos Ayres, which were, however, destroyed before they produced flowers. My friend, Mr. Caldcleugh
brought some of the prepared leaves on his return from South America, among which were many ripe berries,
from which I was enabled to make out satisfactorily its genus; and the flowering specimen here figured proves it
to be a new species, which I have, therefore, called Ilex Paraguensis. The Tea of Paraguay has been referred
by Botanists, sometimes to the Ilex Cassine, and at other times, but equally erroneously to the Ilex vomitoria.
Indeed its distinguishing characters are so marked, that it will not be easily confounded with these or any of
the species of Ilex hitherto published. I shall conclude this article by subjoining the following interesting
extract, relating to this tree, taken from the fourth volume of the Seminario de Buenos Ayres of Azara, for
which I am obliged to the kindness of Mr. Walton.
'1 he tea-tree of Paraguay, called in the country yerva mate, is one of the most useful trees in Paraguay, to
which It is nearly peculiar. It is found growing spontaneously, intermingled with the other native trees,
in the forests which cover the banks of the rivers and streams which fall into the Parana and Uruguay, as
well as at the sources of the rivers Ipane and Jejui. The tree is large, and often equals in size the common
orange tre e ; but m the places where the leaf is regularly gathered, it becomes stunted, from the limbs
being cut every two or three years but not oftener, from its being thought that this time is requisite to season
the leaves, which do not fall oft’ in winter. The trunk is about the size of the thigh; the bark is smooth and
whitish: the boughs, which spring upwards like those of the laurel, are leafy and tufted. The leaf is elliptic,