MATE, or PARAGUAY TEA (abbreviation of Sp. )rrha tic surly, calabash-herb). A substitute for tin, extensively used in Smith America. and almost universally through Brazil. It consists of the leaves and green shoots of certain of holly (9.1-.), more especially Ilex Parag,nen sis, dried and roughly ground. The true mat(' is a large shrub or small tree With smooth leaves and axillary umbels of A111:111 leaves of a number of other species of Ilex are mixed with matt., and J.onietimes it is adulterated with leaves of plants in no way related to it. The term mate. which Imes by usage attaehed to this material, belongs originally to the vessels in which it was infused for il•inking; these were usually made of gourds or calabashes. often trained into curious forms during their growth. Into the hollow vessels thus formed a small quantity of the material is put, and boiling water is added. Each person who is to partake of the beverage is provided with a small tube about eight inches long with a bulb-like strainer• at one end made either of fine basketwork or of perforated metal to prevent the fine particles from being drawn up into the mouth, and when his turn comes he dips in his tube (bombilla), sucks up a small portion of the infusion, and passes the matO-howl on to the next person. It
is extremely unpleasant to Europeans at the high temperature at which it is usually drunk. The effect of is much the same as tea, stimulat ing, and restorative, due to the presence of a large proportion of eaffein. The collection and preparation of math- is a large industrial occu pation in Paraguay and Brazil, upward of 5,000,000 pounds of math• being annually ex ported from Paraguay to other parts of South America, but it is not yet an important article of export to other quarters of the world. See Plate of BEVERAGE PLANTS.