USEFUL WILD PLANTS 



mate {Ilex Paraguayensis) . The leaves were cus- 

 tomarily toasted, thoroughly boiled in water, and 

 then cooled by pouring rapidly from one vessel to 

 another and back again, which also developed f rothi- 

 ness. The liquid is, as the name indicates, of a black 

 color, and is quite bitter. Dr. E. M. Hale, who made 

 a special study of the subject and had the results 

 published by the United States Department of Agri- 

 culture ^ a number of years ago, pronounced it a not 

 unpleasant beverage, for which a liking might read- 

 ily be acquired as for mate, tea or coffee — in fact 

 somewhat suggesting in taste an inferior grade of 

 black tea. When very strong from long boiling, it 

 will act as an emetic — a consummation lightly re- 

 garded by the Indians, who merely drank again. 



Two other species of Ilex growing wild throughout 

 a greater part of the length of our Atlantic seaboard 

 possess leaves that have been similarly used as sub- 

 stitutes for Chinese tea. One is I. glabra, Gray, 

 popularly known as Inkberry, a rather low-growing 

 shrub of sandy soils near the coast, with shiny, 

 wedge-shaped, evergreen leaves, and ink-black ber- 

 ries; the other, 7. verticillata, Gray, a much taller 

 shrub, with deciduous foliage, and bright red berries 

 clustered around the stems and persisting in winter. 



3 Bulletin 14, Division of Botany. 



164 



