7 



** 



TAB. 6. 



\' 



ILEX GONGONHA. 



V; BRAZILIAN TEA-TREE. 



I1.EX GoNGo:.HA.. follis ellipticis pungenh-mucronatis spinuloso-denUUi« basi rotundatis supr^ viridihus lucidi. 

 spicjs suljgeunni. ramosis dens^ pubcscentibus, floribus pentandris,, stylo distincto. 



Cassinc Gotigonha. Mart. Travels (Eng. edit.) 2. p. 100. 



\ 



Habital in BrasiliiE Provincia Minarum. Martius. 



DESCRIPTIO. 



Arhor (ex auctorilatc CI. Martii) 10-20-pedalis, scmpervircns, dens^ ramosa. froudosa. Rami conferli 

 cybndrace,, cort.ce cinereo l^vi obducti. Folia altcrna, brev^ petiolata, olliptica, coriacea, pungenti- 

 mucronata, basi rolnndata, supr^ viridissima, lucida, subt6s pailidiora, cost^a valid^ venisque prominnlis 

 mstructa, margme incrassata, cartiiaginea, spin uloso-den lata v, nunc fer^ integcrrima, 3-5-pollicaria 

 .csqni V. 2i-uncmin lata. Petioli validi, teretiuscuii, vix semiuncial^s, supr^ sulco cunaliculati. CymL 

 sohtan^, vel gemma., nunc spicatim simplices, sa^pi^s divaricato- ramose, subpaniculat^, dens^ pube.- 

 centes. Bractcolw squam.cformes, o^vatae, congay^, canesccnti-viUos^, obtusa;, persistentes. Flares albi, 

 sessdcs. Calyx .5-fidus : segmeutis ovatis, oblusis, mem bran aceis. concavis, albo-coloratis, extis canescenli- 

 villosis. Petala obovato-oblonga, iaciniis calycinis altcrna, ungue crassiori. Filamenta 5, subulaLa, 

 glabra, petalis alterna, iisdcmqnc fere dupl6 breviora. Anthcrw subrotundx. Ovarimn .5-ovulatum,' 

 superum. Stylus distincLus, ovarii fer^^ longitudine, kevis. Stigma obtusaui, pruinosum. Bacca 

 matura iiondum vidi. / 





■t 



This plant affords the kind of tea^called in Brazil Gongonha, or CongonJia, and which is considered by 

 some as identically tbe same with that from Paraguay. M. de St. Hilairc, as well as Dr. Martius, appear to 

 be of this o|3inion. The former had an opportunity of examining tbe true Paraguay Lea, planted by the 

 Jesuits around their ancient Missions, and Kssures us that his opinion, as to Uiclr identity, is founded on 

 a comparison of specimens. The character he has given, however, of the Paraguay Tea, under the name 

 of Ilex Mate, will be found to apply much better to our Tab. i, than to the present species. He describes 

 the leaves as obtuse, and tbe stigma as four-cleft, whereas in tbe present species the leaves are terminated 

 by a longi.sh thorny point, and the stigma is entir'i; not to mention also that the peduncles arc mostly simple 



3 X** 



\\\\S N>>\\ A >^ > .\ >■ 



