CATHA, a shrub (Cat/ia edulis, family Celastraceae) native to Arabia and to Africa from Abyssinia to the Cape. It is also cultivated, especially in Arabia, where it is called kliat, kat, or kasta. The Arabians make a kind of tea from the dried leaves and young shoots. These are also chewed extensively for their stimu lant properties, which somewhat resemble those of coca. See