520 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART Ill. 

on mountains. I. asidtica Lin. Spec., 710., is a native of the East Indies, I. éntegra Thunb. and 
L. roténda Thunb. are Japan shrubs. I. bumelioides H. B. et Kunth is a tree of Peru. A number of 
these species are introduced, and occasionally to be found in our green-houses; and the others, 
if they could be procured, would doubtless thrive in the open air in the warmest parts of Devonshire 
ahd Cornwall, and, perhaps, at least half of them in the neighbourhood of London. I. paraguariénsis 
Lamb. Pin., vol. 2., App., t. 2., and our fig. 189., though commonly treated as a stove plant, might 
possibly succeed in the warmest parts of Devonshire, against a wall, as well as the orange tree. This 
shrub or tree affords what is called the Ferngiey, tea, from which the Jesuits of Paraguay derive 
a large revenue. The leaves are; used in Paraguay, La Plata, Chili, Peru, and Quito, by all 
classes of persons, and at all hours of the day, by infusion in a pot, called mate, from the spout of 
which the te2 is drunk, with or without a little sugar or lemon juice. The Creoles drink the infusion 
at every meal, and never eat until they have taken some of it. If the water is suffered to remain 
long on the leaves, the decoction becomes as black as ink. The pipe to the mate, or teapot, 
called a bambilla, is perforated with holes at the top, to prevent swallowing the pulverised herb, 
which swims on the surface. The whole party is supplied by handing the mate and pipe from one 
to another, filling up the mate with hot water as fast as it isdrunk out. The leaves, when green, 
taste somewhat like mallow leaves: they are prepared for use by being parched, and almost pul- 
verised ; after which they are packed up forsale. The aromatic bitterness which the herb possesses 
when first prepared is partly dissipated by carriage. The principal harvest of the herb is made in the 
eastern part of Paraguay, and about the mountains of Maracaja; but it is also cultivated in the 
marshy valleys which intervene between the hills, The people boast of innumerable qualities 
which this herb possesses: it is certainly aperient and diuretic; but the other qualities attributed 
to it are rather doubtful. Like opium, it gives sleep to the restless, and spirit to the torpid; and, 
like that drug, when once a habit is contracted of using it, it is difficult to leave it off; and the 
effect of it on the constitution is similar to that produced by the immoderate use of spirituous liquor. 
(Don’s Mill., ii. p.18.; and Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. v. p.8. and p. 9.) Plants of this species were in- 
troduced into England in 1828, and are to be found in one or two collections, 
Genus III. 
shh 
PRI'NOS L. Tue Prinos, or Winter Berry. Lin. Syst. Hexandria 
Monogynia, or Polygamia Dice‘cia. 
Identification. Lin. Gen., No. 461. ; Dec. Prod., 2. p. 16. ; Don’s Mill, 2. p. 20. 
Synonymes. Ageria Adans. Fam., 2. p. 166.; Apalanche, Fr. ; Winterbeere, Ger. 
Derivation. From prinos, the Greek name for the holly, which the present genus much resembles ; 
or, according to others, from pridn, a saw, on account of the serrated leaves of the species. The 
species are deciduous or evergreen shrubs, natives of North America, from 2 ft. to 8 ft. in height, 
forming compact upright bushes, densely clothed with foliage. 
§ i. Prindides Dec. 
fa) 
Ny 
' Sectional Characteristic. Flowers usually 4—5-cleft. (Dec. Prod., ii. p. 16.) 
% 1. P. peci’‘puus Dec. The deciduous Winter Berry. 
Identification. Dec. Prod., 2. p. 16.; Dec. Prod., 2. p. 17.; Don’s Mill., 2. p. 20. 
Synonymes. I \ex prindides Ait. Hort. Kew., 2. p. 278.; Ilex decidua Walt. Fl. Carol., 241. 
Spec. Char., §c. Leaves deciduous, elliptic-lanceolate, tapered to the petiole, 
shallowly sawed ; the midrib villous beneath ; the peduncles axillary; those 
