fU KIIAT. — MATE. — KOLA-NUT S. 



bears leather\-, lanceolate leaves and is called CalJiu 

 ediilis. This is the "Khat" or "Cafta" plant whose dried 

 leaves are chewed like tobacco h\ the Arabs and also 

 used to make tea. In South America the leaves of a 

 plant indigenous to Paraguay and Brazil, Ilex para- 

 guayensis, are used as tea. It is one of the Aquifoliaceae 

 and is closeU' related to the "Khat". The leaves are 

 known there as "Yerba'' or "Mate". It is, howe\'er, one 

 of the Sterculiaceae, Sterculia acuminata or Cola acumi- 

 nata, which provides the African Negro with his "Kola- 

 nuts". These fruits are like Spanish =chestnuts and have 

 a slighth' bitter flavour. The\' are much ^'alued b\' the 

 Negroes for the^■ are said to strengthen the body, to 

 make bad water drinkable, to be a remedy- for all sorts 

 of complaints, to appease hunger and raise the spirits. 

 As a matter of fact the Kola-nut contains both Thein, 

 like tea and coffee, and Theobromin like cocoa. The 

 use of this fruit is beginning to extend to England. Ilex 

 paragua\eiisis and Sterculia acuminata are not grown at 

 La jMortola; but other species closeh- resembling them 

 ma\' be seen there. 



In La Mortola Gardens, as elsewhere on the M'estern 

 Riviera, Camellias, Rhododendrons and Azalias do not seem 

 to flourish as well as other plants. The few specimens to be 

 seen are not nearly as fine and well developed as those on 

 the Italian Lakes. The calcareous soil which prevails on this 

 part of the Riviera does not suit them, and moreover they 

 require a damper atmosphere during the growing season. 



Fragrant Balsams were an important article of trade 

 in ancient times and in the Middle Ages. The solid 



