( 3992 ) 



Ilex Paraguayensis. Mate, or Para- 

 guay Tea. 



Class and Order. 



Tetrandria Monogynia. 



( Nat. Ord. — Aquifoliace;E. ) 



Generic Character. 



Calyx 4 — 5-dentatus, persistens. Petala 4 — 5, hypo- 

 gyna (ex Kunth), sepalis alterna, hunc libera, nunc basi in 

 corollam rotatam subcoalita. Stamina 4 — b, petalis alterna 

 hyp°gy n a. Ovarium sessile, 4-loculare, stigmatibus sessili- 

 bus 4 — 5 nunc distinctis nunc in 1 coalitis coronatum. 

 Bacca 4 — 5-pyrena, nucleis oblongis apice umbilicatis 1- 

 spermis. Semen inversum ; albumen carnosum. Embryo 

 m apice nidulans. — Frutices sempervirentes, foliis scepius 

 coriaceis, pedunculis multijloris, Jloribus hermaphroditis ra- 

 rissime abortu dioicis aut polygamis. D C. 



Specific Character and Syononyms. 



Ilex* Paraguayensis; glaberrima, foliis cuneato-lanceo- 



latove ovatis obtusiusculis obtuse inaequaliter serratis 



interne integerrimis, racemis axillaribus paniculatis, 



pedicellis subumbellatis, calyce pubescente, drupis 



(siccis) suboctosulcatis. 

 («.) foliis latioribus fere obovatis. (Tab. nostr. 3992). 



Hook. Lond. Journ. of Bot. v. 1. p. 35. Tab. I. III. 

 Ilex Paraguayensis. Lamb. Pin. Tab. II. cum descr. 



(1824). Spreng. Syst. Veget. cur. post. p. 48. (excl. 



Syn. St. Hil.) 

 {£.) foliis minoribus superne angustioribus subtus saepe 



nigro-punctulatis. Hook. I. c. 

 Ilex Mate. A. J. Gomes, in Herb. Lindl. 

 (y.) foliis longioribus angustioribus sensim acuminatis fere 



oblongo-lanceolatis subtus copiose nigro-punctulatis. 



Hook. I. c. Tab. III. 



Ilex. 



* According to Theis, this name is derived from ec, or ac, a sharp, 

 acute point, in the Celtic language. 



