ILEX PARAGUEN8I8 



TEA-TREE OF PARAGUAY. 



/. Paraguensk folHs cuneato-oblongis empticisve obtusis eoriacei. nudis supern^ crenatis, umbellis subses- 

 silibiis multifloris petiolo longiorlbus. 



HahUaf in Paraguas sylvis, allisque regionibus America equinoctial is. 



^.^0. magna, facie C.Vn. Rann numerosi, frondosi. Fo^io alterna, sempervirentia, brev6 petiolata, cuneato- 



oDlonga sive elhptica, coriacca, obtusa, 3-4 polllces longa, Hv. 2 lata, ntrinque plana, gabra, snpra 



lucida e medio ad apicom obtus6 crenata. Umbelh axillaris, di y. trichotoma, multiflora, ferd sessilis. 

 ™.«^. plures, glabn, uni v. plnriflori. F/ores albi, tetrandri (nnnc rar6 5-fidi, pentandri), magnitudine 



nms Aquijohu Calyces membranacci, 4-fidi: laciniis rotnudatis, concavis. Peiala quatnor, ovalia. 



Baccw Spha:^rice, rubral, magnitndjne grani Piperis, octosulcat^E, tetrapyrena^. 



For a knowledge of this highly interesting plant, I am indebted to the friendship of Don JosePavon, 

 who lately sent me, along with an extensive collection of other South American Plants, the specimen from 

 which the preceding description and fignre were taken. ' M. Bonpland found this tree growing in the neighbour- 

 hood of Buenos Ayresj but neither in flower nor fruit, and therefore was not certain as to the genus to which 

 it belonged, but conjectured it to be a new species of Ilex. He transplanted some trees of it into his garden 

 near Buenos Ayres, which were, however, destroyed before they produced flowei-s. " My friend, Mr. Caldcleugh 

 brought some of the prepared leaves on his return from South America, among which were many ripe berries, 

 from which I was enabled to make out satisfactorily its genus; and the flowering specimen here figured proves it 

 to be a new species, which I have, therefore, called Ilex Paragucnm. ' The Tea of Paraguay has been referred 

 by Botanists, sometimes to the Ilex Cassine, and at other times, but equally erroneously to the Ilex vomitoria. 

 Indeed its distinguishing characters are so marked, that it wifl not be easily confounded with these or any of 

 the species of Ilex hitherto published. I shafl conclude this article by subjoining the following interesting 

 extract, relating to this tree, taken from tJie fourth volume of tlie Semmario de Buenos Ayres of Azara, for 

 which I am obliged to the kindness of Mr. Walton. 



The tea-tree of Paraguay, called in the country ye>-va mate, is one of the most useful trees in Paraguay to 

 which it is nearly peculiar. It is found growing spontaneously, intermingled with the other native trees 

 in the forests which cover the banks of the rivers and streams which fall into the Parana and Uruguay as 

 well as at the sources of the rivers Ipane and Jejui. The tree is large, and often equals in size the common 

 orange tree; but in the places where the leaf is regularly gathered, it becomes stunted, from the limbs 

 being cut every two or three years but not oftener, from its being thought that this time is requisite to season 

 the leaves, which do not fall off in winter. The trunk is about the size of the thigh; the bark is smooth and 

 whitish: the boughs, which spring upwards like those of the laurel, are leafy and tufted. The leaf is elliptic, 



