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



leaves are 3-4 inches long, H-2 inches broad, on a petiole 

 6 lines long : the drupe is oval, 2^ lines long, 2 lines diani., 

 supported on a 4-lobed calyx, and crowned with a prominent, 

 pulviniform, 4-lobed stigma; it encloses four nuts*. 



Var. G ardneriana, nob.; — Ilex Paraguayensis, Hook, [in parte) 

 Lond. Journ. Bot. i. 35. tab. 1 ; — ramulis opacioribus, foliis 

 non fuscescentibus, coriaceis, supra nervis venisque reticulars 

 subconspicuis, ad costam profunde sulcatis, subtus pallidiori- 

 bus. An species distincta? — Prov. Rio de Janeiro in Mon- 

 tibus Organensibus (Gardner, no. 346), v. v. 



This plant is well represented by Sir Wm. Hooker, in the 

 drawing above cited, under the name of Ilex Paraguayensis, var. a. 

 It is a small tree, aboutl5feet in height : its leaves are 2|-3 inches 

 long, 15-18 lines broad, on a nearly terete slender fuscous petiole 

 5-6 lines long ; their margin is much reflexed, with a very acute 

 uncinate gland on the apex of each tooth, close to the sinus : the 

 under side, viewed through a lens, presents a similar minutely 

 granulated surface, and is quite epunctate. My specimen has no 

 fruit ; but that in the Hookerian herbarium had a single drupe, 

 which is of a globular form, 2^ lines diam., crowned with a 

 depressed, pulvinate, 4-lobed stigma, as shown in the plate 

 referred to. 



3. Ilex gig antea, Bonpl. MSS., n. sp.; — arbor excelsa, glaberrima, 

 ramulis subrugosis, junioribus angulatis, lenticellatis ; foliis 

 cuneato-oblongis vel obovatis, apice rotuudatis vel retusis, 

 hinc brevissime acutis aut mucronatis, integerrimis, margine 

 incrassato valde revoluto, crasso-coriaceis, supra nitidulis, 

 costa nervisque omnino immersis, subtus glauco-ferrugmeis, 

 epunctatis, nervis gracillimis paulo prominulis ; petiolo cras- 

 siusculo, canaliculato ; racemulis $ axillaribus, e basi 3-4-floris, 

 petiolo dimidio brevioribus ; drupis globosis, lsevibus, piperis 

 magnitudine, stigmate majusculo mammpeformi 4-lobo pro- 

 minente coronatis; nucibus 4. — In sylvis ad S a Cruz, prov. 

 Rio Grande, et ad ripas fl. Parana, Prov. Entrerios. — Bonpland, 

 nos. 2330, 2374, et 2479. 



This is certainly a very distinct species, apparently allied to 

 /. integerrima, Reiss. It forms a very lofty tree, with a copious 

 rounded head ; its leaves are very thick, coriaceous, very smooth, 

 nerveless and polished above, with entire, very rounded and re- 

 volute thick margins, cimeate at base, very opake beneath, with 

 inconspicuous nervures; they are 3 inches long, lf-1^ inch 

 broad, on a thick, broad, and somewhat marginated petiole 

 5 lin. long ; the pedicels of the fruit are barely 3 lines long ; 



* This plant is represented in Plate 63 of the ' Contributions.' 



