What is "yerba mate"

alt. (alternative form of maté English) n. (alternative form of maté English)

n. (alternative form of yerba mate English)

Yerba mate (from Spanish ; or ; , ) is a species of the holly family ( Aquifoliaceae), with the botanical name Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil. named by the French botanist Auguste François César Prouvençal de Saint-Hilaire.

Yerba mate is widely known as the source of the beverage called mate (, and other variations). It is traditionally consumed in central and southern regions of South America, particularly Argentina, Bolivia, southern and center-western Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and southern Chile. It is also very popular in Syria where it is imported from Argentina. Yerba mate was initially utilized and cultivated by the Guaraní people and in some Tupí communities in southern Brazil, prior to European colonization. It was scientifically classified by the Swiss botanist Moisés Santiago Bertoni, who settled in Paraguay in 1895. Yerba mate can also be found in various energy drinks on the market today.