Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil.

Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil., from the family of holy plants, Aquifoliaceae, is a native South American tree that can reach 18 m in height and is used to produce “yerba mate”. It is found primarily in the southern regions of South America, namely, Brazil (Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Parana, Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo), Argentina (Corrientes, Misiones), Paraguay (Alto Paraná, Amambay, Caaguazú, Canendiyú, Central, Guaira, Itapuá, Misiones, San Pedro), and Uruguay. “Yerba mate” tea, an infusion made from the leaves of this tree, is a widely consumed nonalcoholic beverage in South America which is gaining rapid introduction into the world market, either as tea itself or as ingredient in formulated foods or dietary supplements. The indigenous people have used it for centuries as a social and medicinal beverage. The container in which it is generally served is a gourd made from the dry and hollowed fruit of Lagenaria vulgaris Ser. (Cucurbitaceae), whose dimensions vary according the region and uses. It is called “mate” in the region. “Mate” has a very important social role. The act of offering and sharing it has connotations like those of the tea ceremony for some Oriental cultures.