Miscellaneous. 237 



centi-vernicosus, supra membranula, crenulata" et ab insertione pinnu- 

 larum utrinque decurrente manifeste appendiculatus ; pinnulae mediae 

 ovutce inaequilaterales, superiores oblongae et basi oblique cuneatae, 

 impar crenulata, omnes obtusae obtuseque crenatse. 



A. Harovii, frondes decumbentes saxoque fibrillis tenuissimis adfixae, 

 glabra, impari-pinnatae; stipes nigrescenti-vernicosus, supra membra- 

 nula obsoleta et ab insertione pinnularum utrinque decurrente appen- 

 diculatus; pinnulae mediae hastato-rhomboidece, trilobatae, superiores 

 oblongae basi oblique attenuatae vel cuneatae, impar pinnatifida, omnes 

 obtusae sed acute dentatae. 



A. viride, frondes erecto-patulce, glabra, impari-pinnatae ; stipes viridis, 

 supra, canaliculars, inappendiculatus ; pinnulae mediae fere omnes ovato- 

 rbomboideae, inaequilaterales, impar crenulata incisa, omnes obtusae 

 obtuseqwe crenulatae. 



A. Petrarchce, frondes erecto-patulce, glanduloso-villosee, impari-pinnatae; 

 stipes obscure nigrescens, supra applanato-canaliculatus, inappendicu- 

 latus ; pinnulae mediae oblongce basi oblique truncatae vel cuneatce et 

 inde valde inaequilaterales, pinnatifidae, lobulis obtusis inaequaliter cre- 

 nulatis, superiores supra rachin decurrentes. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



ON THE PRESENCE OF THEINE IN THE LEAVES OF ILEX PARAGUYENS1S. 



Recent chemical researches have proved that the bitter tonic sub- 

 stance called Theine, found in the leaves of tea, is identical with Caf- 

 feine, obtained from the seeds of coffee. On this subject Liebig re- 

 marks — " We shall never, certainly, be able to discover how men 

 were led to the use of the hot infusion of the leaves of a certain shrub 

 (tea), or of a decoction of certain roasted seeds (coffee). Some cause 

 there must be, which would explain how the practice has become a 

 necessary of life to whole nations. But it is surely still more remark- 

 able that the beneficial effects of both plants on the health must be 

 ascribed to one and the same substance, the presence of which in 

 two vegetables, belonging to different natural families and the pro- 

 duce of different quarters of the globe, could hardly have presented 

 itself to the boldest imagination." 



It is curious to remark, that a beverage called Guarana, used by the 

 people on the banks of the Amazon, and in all probability procured 

 from the leaves of Paullinia sorbilis, should yield a crystalline matter 

 also identical with Theine, and that Theobromine, or the principle 

 yielded by chocolate, should be in many respects analogous. Mr. John 

 Stenhouse of Glasgow has recently detected Theine in the leaves of 

 the Ilex par aguyensis, Yerba Mate, or Paraguay Tea, which is the com- 

 mon beverage of a large portion of the inhabitants of South America. 



This is a fact of great interest, when taken in connexion with the 

 previous discoveries above alluded to, as tending to show that the 

 same principle is found in many of those substances which are em- 

 ployed by mankind in different parts of the world to furnish a tonic 

 and refreshing beverage. Theine is procured easily according to 

 Mr. Stenhouse, by making an infusion of tea, precipitating by acetate 

 of lead, filtering, evaporating the clear solution to a thickish con- 

 sistence, and then subliming (?) from a sand-bath. In this way he has 

 been able to procure 1^ per cent, from Assam tea without the use of 



