File:Ilex_paraguariensis_-_Köhler–s_Medizinal-Pflanzen-074.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
yerba mate
Sign in to saveAlso known as yerba maté, Paraguay tea, Ilex paraguayensis, mate, maté
species of plant
OverviewAI-generated
Yerba mate, scientifically known as *Ilex paraguariensis*, is a species within the genus *Ilex* and the family Aquifoliaceae. It is classified as a useful and medicinal plant, with uses including psychoactive drugs. The plant serves as the source for mate and Club-Mate. Its IUCN conservation status is Near Threatened, a designation recorded in 1998.
The native range of *Ilex paraguariensis* includes Northeast, South, Southeast, and West-Central Brazil, as well as Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Specific habitats within its range include the Caatinga and Atlantic Forest. The species has also been introduced to Hawaii. Common names for the plant include mate, cesmína paraguayská, Mate-Baum, and Mate-Strauch.
Synthesized by Vinony from 27 facts across 5 sources: Wikidata, PubMed, IUCN Red List, Plants of the World, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.
Species
LR/ntCommon Name: yerba mate
via · Kew POWO
Research
744 papers- Physiological effects of yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis): a systematic review.Nutrition reviews · 2023José MFB, Machado RP, Araujo PAB et al.DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuac109
- Yerba Mate Tea (Ilex paraguariensis): a comprehensive review on chemistry, health implications, and technological considerations.ReviewJournal of food science · 2007Heck CI, de Mejia EGDOI: 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2007.00535.x
- Health properties of Yerba Mate.Annals of agricultural and environmental medicine : AAEM · 2020Lutomski P, Goździewska M, Florek-Łuszczki MDOI: 10.26444/aaem/119994
- Yerba Mate-A Long but Current History.ReviewNutrients · 2021Gawron-Gzella A, Chanaj-Kaczmarek J, Cielecka-Piontek JDOI: 10.3390/nu13113706
- Fungal Diseases in Yerba Mate: Status and Management Strategies.ReviewCurrent microbiology · 2024Vereschuk ML, Alvarenga AE, Zapata PDDOI: 10.1007/s00284-024-03707-8
- Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis) and Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Systematic Review of Mechanistic and Clinical Evidence.Nutrients · 2025Cassotta M, Cao Q, Hu H et al.DOI: 10.3390/nu17243853
- Effect of Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis) on Lipid Levels: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands) · 2022Masson W, Barbagelata L, Lobo M et al.DOI: 10.1007/s11130-022-00991-2
- Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil.) for new therapeutic and nutraceutical interventions: A review of patents issued in the last 20 years (2000-2020).ReviewPhytotherapy research : PTR · 2023Gerber T, Nunes A, Moreira BR et al.DOI: 10.1002/ptr.7632
via PubMed
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Subclass of
- medicinal plant
- Parent taxon
- Ilex
- Image
- Ilex paraguariensis - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-074.jpg
- Has use
- psychoactive drug
Show 12 more facts
- taxon rank
- species
- IUCN conservation status
- Near Threatened
- taxon name
- Ilex paraguariensis
- Commons category
- Ilex paraguariensis
- topic's main category
- Category:Yerba mate
- Commons gallery
- Ilex paraguariensis
- taxon common name
- mate
- taxon range
- Santa Catarina
- short name
- I. paraguariensis
- described by source
- Encyclopædia Britannica 11th edition
- Flora of the Hawaiian Islands URL
- naturalhistory2.si.edu/botany/hawaiianflora/speciesdescr.cfm?genus=Ilex&species=paraguariensis
via Wikidata · CC0
~17 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Yerba mate or yerba maté (/ˈjɜːrbə ˈmɑːteɪ/ YUR-bə MAH-tay), Ilex paraguariensis, is a plant species of the holly genus native to South America. It was named by the French botanist Augustin Saint-Hilaire. The leaves of the plant can be steeped in hot water to make a beverage known as mate. Brewed cold, it is used to make tereré. Both the plant and the beverage contain caffeine.
The indigenous Guaraní and some Tupi communities (whose territory covered present-day Paraguay) first cultivated and consumed yerba mate prior to European colonization of the Americas. Its consumption was exclusive to the natives of only two regions of the territory that today is Paraguay, more specifically the departments of Amambay and Alto Paraná. After the Jesuits discovered its commercialization potential, yerba mate became widespread throughout the province and even elsewhere in the Spanish Crown.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “yerba mate” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.