Ilex paraguariensis is a member of the holly family
(Aquifoliaceae) native to subtropical South America. The leaves
of this tree are used to produce a herbal infusion called yerba
mate or Paraguayan tea. It is widely used in Argentina, Brazil,
Paraguay and Uruguay, and its consumption often constitutes a
form of social ritual. Furthermore, some medicinal properties
have been attributed to yerba mate, including: Paraguayan tea
has been traditionally used by indigenous people and is nowadays
one of the most important economic products in South America.
Yerba mate in the gourd © Jorge Alfonso Hernández, Creative
Commons Attribution- Share Alike 2.5 Generic The plant was
formally described by Auguste François César Prouvençal de
Saint-Hilaire in 1822. Its common name, 'maté' is metonymically
derived from the gourd (Lagenaria vulgaris) - the gourd's name
is 'mathi' in Quechua, a native South American language.
Traditionally, the dry yerba mate leaves are packed in the gourd
and infused by pouring water on it. Then