Mr. J. Miers on the History of the ' Mate' Plant. 397 



sublongiusculo, 'ssepius recurvo; paniculis axillaribus, multi- 

 floris, petiolo 2-plo longioribus, sub lcnte obsolete puberulis, 

 demum subglabris ; floribus 4- rarius 5-meris, petalis oblongis, 

 patentibus ; ovavio stigmate magno mammaeformi 4-lobo 

 sessili apiculato; drupa globosa, stigmate manmiillari coro- 

 nata. — In prov. Rio Grande, ad Faxinal, et versus Rio Pardo 

 (Bonpland, no. 2425) ? ; ex herb. Delessert, Rio de Janeiro 

 (cult.?), A. Richard (rf). 



This species is very nearly allied to the preceding, and appears 

 to be one of the varieties which Dr. Reisseck has mistaken for 

 the true Paraguay Mate-tree. In the specimen collected near 

 Rio de Janeiro, which seems to be the male plant (appertaining 

 to the female, Bonpland, no. 2425), the leaves are much darker 

 and more polished; they are 1^-1 J inch long, 8-9 lines broad, 

 on a petiole 3 lines in length : the inflorescence is a branching 

 corymb, 6-9 lines long, with lateral racemose branchlets, each 

 bearing three pedicelled small 4-merous flowers; the sepals and 

 petals have ciliated margins; the sterile ovary has a flat de- 

 pressed 8-grooved summit, with an obsolete 4-lobed stigma. 

 In Bonpland's female plant the leaves are similar in size and 

 shape, but are much paler above and more glaucous below : its 

 inflorescence is an axillary panicle, G-12 lines long, with several 

 pedicels, which are either 1- or 3-flowered; if 1- flowered, the 

 pedicel is 2-bracteated below the middle, showing the point 

 where the two abortive flowers would have been inserted : these 

 1-flowered pedicels are 2-3 lines long; in the 3-flowered rami- 

 fications the ultimate pedicels are 1-2 lines long. This female 

 flower is much larger than that of the male, and when expanded 

 is 2 lines in diameter; it is generally 4-, sometimes 5-merous, 

 the sepals and petals having ciliated margins; the ovary is 

 somewhat oval, surmounted by a large, mammiform, sessile, 

 4-grooved stigma*. 



The two following species have been referred by botanists to 

 the true Mate plant : — 



7. Ilex nigropunctata, nob. ; — Ilex Paraguayensis, var. 7, Hook, 

 [non St. -Hit.) in Lond. Journ. Bot. i. 35. tab. 3. plant. <S ; — 

 Chomelia amara, Veil. Flor. Flum. 42. Icon. i. 106. plant. $ ; — 

 ramulis sulcatis ; foliis oblongis aut oblongo-lanceolatis, utrin- 

 que attenuatis, apice obtusiusculis, obsolete dentatis, dentibus 

 glanduliferis, margine subrevoluto, superne pallide viridibus, 

 nitidiusculis, ad costam sulcatis, utrinque nervosis et reticu- 

 lato-venosis, subtus (in sicco) flavido- vel glauco-viridibus et 

 nigro-punctulatis, costa prominente; petiolo tenui, canalicu- 



* A drawing of this species is given in Plate G5 b of the 'Contributions.' 



