120 



ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. 



PART III. 



on mountains. I. asidtica Lin. Spec, 710., is a native of the East Indies. I. Integra Thunb. and 

 I. rotunda Thunb. are Japan shrubs. I. bumelioidcs H. B. et Kunth is a tree of Peru. A number of 

 these species are introduced, and occasionally to be found in our green-houses ; and the others, 

 if they could be procured, would doubtless thrive in the open air in the warmest parts of Devonshire 

 and Cornwall, and, perhaps, at least half of them in the neighbourhood of London. I. paraguaridnsis 

 Lamb. Pin., vol. 2., App., t. 2 , and our fig. 189., though commonly treated as a stove plant, might 

 possibly succeed in the warmest parts of Devonshire, against a wall, as well as the orange tree. This 

 shrub or tree affords what is called the Paraguay tea, from which the Jesuits of Paraguay derive 

 a large revenue. The leaves arej used in Paraguay, La Plata, Chili, Peru, and Quito, by all 

 classes of persons, and at all hours of the day, by infusion in a pot, called mate, from the spout of 

 which the tea is drunk, with or without a little sugar or lemon juice. The Creoles drink the infusion 

 at every meal, and never eat until they have taken some of it. If the water is suffered to remain 

 long on the leaves, the decoction becomes as black as ink. The pipe to the mate, or teapot, 

 called a bambilla, is perforated with holes at the top, to prevent swallowing the pulverised herb, 

 which swims on the surface. The whole party is supplied by handing the mate and pipe from one 

 to another, filling up the mate with hot water as fast as it is drunk out. The leaves, when green, 

 taste somewhat like mallow leaves : they are prepared for use by being parched, and almost pul- 

 verised; after which they are packed up for sale. The aromatic bitterness which the herb possesses 

 when first prepared is partly dissipated by carriage. The principal harvest of the herb is made in the 

 eastern part of Paraguay, and about the mountains of Maracaja ; but it is also cultivated in the 

 marshy valleys which intervene between the hills. The people boast of innumerable qualities 

 which this herb possesses: it is certainly aperient and diuretic ; but the other qualities attributed 

 to it are rather doubtful. Like opium, it gives sleep to the restless, and spirit to the torpid; and, 

 like that drug, when once a habit is contracted of using it, it is difficult to leave it off; and the 

 effect of it on the constitution is similar to that produced by the immoderate use of spirituous liquor. 

 {Don's Mill., ii. p. 18. ; and Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. v. p. 8. and p. 9.) Plants of this species were in- 

 troduced into England in 1828, and are to be found in one or two collections. 



Genus III. 



j§L 



PRI'NOS L. The Prinos, or Winter Beery. Lin. Syst. Hexandria 

 Monogynia, or Polygamia Dioe\ua. 



Identification. Lin. Gen., No. 461. ; Dec. Prod., 2. p. 16. ; Don's Mill., 2. p. 20. 



Synonymes. Ageria Adans. Fam., 2. p. 166. ; Apalanche, Fr. ; Winterbeere, Ger. 



Derivation. From prinos, the Greek name for the holly, which the present genus much resembles ; 

 or, according to others, from prion, a saw, on account of the serrated leaves of the species. The 

 species are deciduous or evergreen shrubs, natives of North America, from 2 ft. to 8 ft. in height, 

 forming compact upright bushes, densely clothed with foliage. 



§ i. Vrinoidcs Dec. 



Sectional Characteristic. Flowers usually 4 — 5-cleft. {Dec. Prod., ii. p. 16.) 

 « I, P. DECi'DUUS Dec. The deciduous Winter Berry. 



Dim Prod., 2. p. 16. ; 



/ lex prinftfafef Ait Jio, 



\h< Prod., 2. p. 17. ; Don's Mill., 2. p. 20. *■ 

 Mart. Kew., 2. p. 278. ; / N lex decidua Walt. Fl. Carol, 241. 



Syrum?, > 



Sjtt i . Char., >')'■. Lewet deciduous, elliptic-lanceolate, tapered to the petiole, 

 Uowlj -awed ; the midrib villous beneath; the peduncles axillary; those 



