74 ON THE DIFFERENT SPECIES OF ILEX, ETC. 



I brought from Rio de Janeiro, which I found growing in the Botanic 

 Gardens there, and which I was assured by the Eev. Frey Leandro, at 

 that time Director of those Gardens, was the " Arbol do Mate," or 

 " Paraguay Tea-tree." This plant, which is well figured in Sir William 

 Hooker's memoir appeared to me quite a distinct species, marked by 

 very peculiar characters. 



Anxious to remove this doubt, I applied to my friend Senr. Consel- 

 heiro Candido Baptista d'Oliveira, soon after I learned of his appoint- 

 ment as Director of the Botanic Garden, and begged of him to ascertain 

 whether that plant was really identical with the tree which yields the 

 true Yerba de Paraguay, as T had been assured twenty years before, or a 

 different species, and to send me, if possible, authentic specimens of both. 

 He most obligingly forwarded me a fresh specimen of the tree still grow- 

 ing in Rio de Janeiro, and at the same time transmitted my application 

 to M. Bonpland, as the most competent authority on the subject, who, 

 however, did not quite comprehend the object of my inquiry. This 

 renowned botanist most kindly responded, and sent six different 

 species with their varieties, all collected in the Missions, and all alike 

 used in the preparation of Yerba. This at once confirmed my suspicion 

 that more than one species of Ilex is employed for that purpose ; and 

 as this fact is of some importance in the history of the subject, I will 

 copy here verbatim the note of M. Bonpland which accompanied his 

 specimens. 



" No. 596. Herbe du Paraguay — Mate — Ilex thecezans, Bonpland — 

 Ilex Paraguay ensis, St.-Hilaire. Se trouve dans le Para- 

 guay, le Bresil, et Entre Rios. 

 " No. 2425. Cauna des Bresiliens — Ilex ovalifolla, Bonpl., nouv. 

 espece. Se trouve dans le Faxinal, au sortir de la Picada 

 de S a Cruz, a 4 lieues du Rio Pardo. 

 " No. 2333. Cauna des Bresiliens — Caachiriri ou Caachiri des 

 Guaranis — Ilex amara, Bonpl., n. esp. Se trouve dans 

 les montagnes de S a Cruz et dans les forets du Parana. 

 " No. 2332. Cauna des Bresiliens — Caachiriri des Guaranis — Ilex 

 crepitans, Bonpl., n. esp. Se trouve dans les bois de 

 Guaj r araca dans le cceur de S a Cruz et sur les bords du 

 Parana. 

 " No. 2330. Cauna defolha larga des Bresiliens. 

 " No. 2374. Cauna amarga des Bresiliens. 



" No. 2479. Cauna des Guaranis — Ilex gigantea, Bonpl., n. esp. Se 

 e trouve dans les bois de Sa Cruz et sur les bords du 

 Parana. 

 "No. 2471. Cauuina des Bresiliens — Ilex Humboldtiana, Bonpl., n. 

 esp. Se trouve dans le Picada de S a Cruz qui conduit a 

 Rio Pardo, Prov. Rio Grande, Bresil. 

 " Toutes ces especes d'llex sont employees a faire l'herbe Mate. Les 

 nos. d'ordre correspondent a mon journal botanique. 



" Corrienti'S., 17 Juin, 1857." " Aime Bonpland." 



