Ilex vomitoria

Uncommon card · No. 165468

Ilex vomitoria, commonly known as yaupon () or yaupon holly, is a species of holly that is native to southeastern North America. The word yaupon was derived from the Catawban yą́pą, from yą- tree + pą leaf. Another common name, cassina, was borrowed from Timucua (despite this, it usually refers to Ilex cassine). The Latin name was given by early European observers who misunderstood Indigenous purification ceremonies—where vomiting was part of the ritual—and incorrectly assumed that the plant itself was emetic. The plant was traditionally used by Native Americans and Euro-American colonists to make an infusion containing caffeine and theobromine. This drink went by different names, such as "cassina," "beloved drink," or "white drink" among natives and "Carolina tea" or "South Seas tea" among colonists. Today, it is also known as yaupon tea. It is one of only two known plants endemic to North America that produce caffeine. The other (containing 80% less) is Ilex cassine, commonly known as...

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