228 Mr. J. Miers on the History of the ' Mate' Plant. 



I had always been impressed with the conviction that the 

 different qualities of Yerba brought to market were prepared 

 from different species of Ilex; and hence the doubt occurred to 

 me whether the plant described by St.-Hilaire from Curitiba be 

 really identical with the true Paraguayan type. The grounds 

 for this surmise were founded upon the dissimilar colour of the 

 two Yerbas, the difference in their flavour, and the higher price 

 always obtained for the Yerba de Paraguay compared with the 

 Yerba de Paranagua. The short diagnosis of St.-Hilaire an- 

 swered equally to several species that I had seen. Sir Wm. 

 Hooker, in 1842*, gave a very interesting account of the Yerba, 

 describing also the mate or cup, formed out of a small calabash 

 (cut/), in which the infusion is prepared, and out of which it is 

 drawn into the mouth through a bombilla ; he added the cha- 

 racters of the different varieties, which he considered identical 

 with the Ilex Paraguayensis, and of these he gave two excellent 

 figures with analyses. This memoir, instead of solving my 

 doubts, only rendered the question still more enigmatical ; for 

 in it is classed, as a mere variety, a plant which I brought from 

 Rio de Janeiro, which I found growing in the Botanic Gardens 

 there, and which I was assured by the Rev. Frey Leandro, at 

 that time Director of those Gardens, was the " Arbol do Mate/' 

 or ' Paraguay Tea-tree.' This plant, which is well figured in 

 Sir Wm. Hooker's memoir f, appeared to me quite a distinct 

 species, marked by very peculiar characters. 



Anxious to remove this doubt, I applied to my friend Senr. 

 Conselheiro Candido Baptista d'Oliveira, soon after I learned of 

 his appointment as Director of the Botanic Garden, and begged 

 of him to ascertain whether that plant was really identical with 

 the tree which yields the true Yerba de Paraguay, as I had been 

 assured twenty years before, or a different species, and to send 

 me, if possible, authentic specimens of both. He most obligingly 

 forwarded me a fresh specimen of the tree still growing in Rio 

 de Janeiro, and at the same time transmitted my application to 

 M. Bonpland, as the most competent authority on the subject, 

 who, however, did not quite comprehend the object of my in- 

 quiry. This renowned botanist most kindly responded, and sent 

 six different species, with their varieties, all collected in the 

 Missions, and all alike used in the preparation of Yerba. This 

 at once confirmed my suspicion that more than one species of 

 Ilex is employed for that purpose ; and as this fact is of some 

 importance in the history of the subject, I will copy here verbatim 

 the note of M. Bonpland which accompanied his specimens. 

 [To be continued.] 



* Lond. Journ. Bot. i. 30. f Ibid. i. 35, var. y, tab. 3. 



