Mate is native to South America, Brazil to be precise. Cultivation takes place mainly in Brazil, as well as in Argentina and Paraguay. The drug is also imported from these countries. In herbal medicine, the dried leaves of the mate bush are used.
Mate: characteristics of the plant
Mate is a small evergreen shrub or tree with alternate, leathery leaves that grow to about 15 cm long. The leaf margin is notchy serrated.
The small white flowers, usually 4 in number, appear in the leaf axils and are separate-sexed. Furthermore, the shrub bears globular, red drupes that grow to about 7 mm in size.
Mate leaves as a medicine
The drug consists of the irregularly broken, smooth leaf pieces, which are light green to brownish in color. In South America, the green, natural leaves are common; in Europe, the roasted, brown leaves are additionally offered.
Smell and taste of mate
Mate leaves emit a faint aromatic odor. The taste of the leaves is faintly smoky and astringent.
