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



leaves are 3-4 inches long, 1^-2 inclies broad, on a petiole 

 6 lines long : the drupe is oval, 2\ lines long, 2 lines diam., 

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

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



Var. Gardneriana, nob. ; — Ilex Paraguayensis, Hook, {in parte) 

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

 non fuscescentibus, coriaceis, supra nervis venisque reticulatis 

 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 ti'ee, about 15 feet 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.; — ai-bor excelsa, glaberrima, 

 ramulis subrugosis, junioribus angulatis, lenticellatis ; foliis 

 cuneato-oblongis vel obovatis, apice rotundatis vel retusis, 

 hinc brevissime acutis aut mucronatis, integerrimis, margine 

 incrassato valde revoluto, crasso-coriaceis, supra nitidulis, 

 costa nervisque omnino immersis, subtus glauco-ferrugineis, 

 epunctatis, nervis gracillimis paulo prominulis ; petiolo cras- 

 siusculOjCanaliculato ; racemulis $ axillaribus, e basi 3-4-floris, 

 petiolo dimidio brevioribus ; drupis globosis, Isevibus, piperis 

 magnitudine, stigmate majusculo mammgeformi 4-lobo pro- 

 minente coronatis ; nucibus 4. — In sylvis ad S* 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, cuneate 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.' 



