Mate NHS
Origin: Brazil

• Details and product description

  Introduction:

  The tree’s Latin name Ilex comes from "ilon,” a Hebrew word meaning oak, while "paraguariensis" refers to Paraguay, the trees origin. Yerba mate leaves are used to make a tea which is highly valued in South America. It is considered the real Tea in this part of the world. Yerba mate is found in several countries including Brazil and Paraguay. Seventy percent (70%) of Brazilian mate is not cultivated but grows naturally in the shade of large trees. Local farmers harvest the leaves by hand. This involves a very important activity employing a large local labor force in the concerned regions. Mate provides a livelihood for thousands of people, whether they are small land owners or local harvesters in the regions of Parana (Southern Brazil, regions along the border of Argentina and Uruguay) and Santa Catarina (south of Parana, area bordering Argentina). The mate tree grows from 6 to 12 m in height, but becomes bushy when trimmed to harvest the leaves. Its bark is smooth, whitish or sage green in color. Its leaves, dark green on top and lighter on the underside, are evergreen, alternate, toothed, glabrous and leathery, from 8 to 12 cm in length and 4 to 6 cm wide. Its white flowers, which blossom from October to December, are clustered in the axil of the leaves. They are small, polygamous (bisexual and unisexual flowers on the same plant) and dioecious (male and female flowers on separate plants), with the calyx and the corolla in a tetrameric arrangement (4 parts). The fruit is a drupe, blackish purple at maturity, containing 4 seeds.

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