CONTRIBUTIONS TO BOTANY. 
99 
Sir Wm. Hooker’s memoir appeared to me quite a distinct 
species, mai-ked by very peculiar charactei's. 
Anxious to remove this doubt, I applied to my fnend Senr. 
Conselheiro Candido Baptista d’Oliveira, soon after I learned of 
his appointment 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 I 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 growing 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 in- 
quiry. This renowned botanist most kindly responded, and sent 
six different species, with their varieties, all collected in the 
Missions, and aU 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 wnll copy here verbatim 
the note of M. Bonpland which accompanied his specimens. 
The note, in M. Bonpland’s handwriting, accompanying the 
specimens sent by him, is as follows : — 
“No. 596. Herbe du Paraguay — Mate — Ilex theazans, Bonpland — 
Ilex Paraguay ensis, St. -Hilaire. Se trouve dans le Para- 
guay, le Bresil, et Entre Rios. 
“ No. 2425. Cauna des Bresiliens — Ilex ovalifolia, Bonpl., nouv. espece. 
Se trouve dans le Faxinal, au sortir de la Picada de S“ 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* Cruz et dans les forets du Parana. 
“ No. 2332. Cauna des Bresiliens — Caachiriri des Guaranis — Ilex cre- 
pitans, Bonpl., n. esp. Se trouve dans les bois de Guaya- 
ra^a dans le cceur de S* Cruz et sur les bords du Parana. 
“ No. 23.30. Catena de folha larga des BresUiens. 
“ No. 2374. Cauna amarga des Bresiliens. 
“ No. 2479. Cauna des Guaranis— /Zea? gigantea, Bonpl., n. esp. Se 
trouve dans les bois de S® Cruz et sur les bords du Parana. 
“ No. 2471. Caunina des Bresiliens — Ilex Humboldtiana, Bonpl., n. esp. 
Se trouve dans le Picada de S“ Cruz qui conduit a Rio 
Pardo, Prov. Rio Grande, Bresil. 
“ Toutes ces especes d’llex sont employees a faire de I’berbe Mate. Les 
nos. d’ordre correspondent a mon journal botanique. 
“Corrientes, 17 Juin, 1857.” “Aim6 Bonpland.” 
When in Paris three years ago, I endeavoured to ascertain 
whether any of these specimens agreed with St.-Hilaire’s typical 
plant ; but the latter, unfortunately, had been mislaid or lost in 
the removal of the collections exhibited in the great ‘ Exposi- 
• Lond. Joum. Bot. i. 35, var. y, tab. 3. 
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