Ilex guayusa ( or ) is a species of tree in the holly family, Aquifoliaceae.
Description
Ilex guayusa is an
evergreen dioecious which grows tall.
The
leaves are ovate, elliptic, oblong or lanceolate; long, wide; with serrate or dentate margin.
The
flowers are small and white, arranged in
.
The fruit is spherical and red, in diameter.
Distribution and habitat
I. guayusa is native to the upper Amazonian regions of
Ecuador,
Peru, and southern
Colombia, between of elevation.
However, it has also been collected in
Bolivia in 1939.
It is present in evergreen or deciduous premontane forests, especially ones dominated by
Dictyocaryum palms.
Guayusa has been collected only rarely in the wild by
botany and is known almost exclusively as a
horticulture plant (especially in the Ecuadorian provinces of
Napo Province and
Pastaza Province).
Ecology
species is found wild and cultivated in sandy-
soils of pH 4.34–5.01 with low cation-exchange capacity and high metal content. The vegetation type preferred is lowland and premontane, neotropical jungle where conditions of soil, precipitation and humidity are appropriate for its development. Despite being a monoecious species and prone to floral polygamy,
Ilex guayusa appears to yield little fertile material, so it relies mostly on asexual reproduction (
Basal shoot). In its initial growth stages,
Ilex guayusa behaves as an
understory species, becoming a shrub with spreading branches when it receives higher amounts of light, eventually becoming a tree.
History
The earliest evidence of human utilization of this species is a 1,500-year-old bundle of guayusa leaves found in a medicine man's tomb in the
Andes, far beyond the natural range of the plant.
Father Juan Lorenzo Lucero reported in 1683 the daily consumption of guayusa in infusions by the Jivaroan peoples.
In the 18th century, several missionaries in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru wrote about the uses of the plant, and some of them also consumed the infusion citing digestive and stimulant properties.
The Jesuits knew about the medicinal uses of the plant and traded it actively.
A grove found in 1857 by Richard Spruce near the town of Baños, Ecuador was supposedly cultivated since precolumbian times.
Uses
Leaves of
Ilex guayusa are used to make an infusion, especially by the peoples of the
Amazon basin, particularly in
Ecuador,
Peru and
Colombia.
After harvest, leaves are dried, which allows flavor to develop.
In the three aforementioned countries, guayusa is also used in the preparation of artisanal alcoholic drinks.
The Kichwa language people cultivate the plant in horticultural plots (called chakras) and use it as a daily drink.
Jivaroan peoples in Ecuador and Peru also prepare a drink from the leaves to be drunk in large amounts during pre-dawn ceremonies that involve the vomiting of the excess drink to wash out the stomach and small intestine and avoid absorbing too much caffeine.
A ritual use by the Quechua people people involves drinking guayusa infusion to have foretelling dreams for successful hunting expeditions.
Guayusa is also drunk by the mestizo and white populations of Ecuador.[Clemens, Randy. Guayusa Tea: Like Yerba Maté, But Better. Los Angeles Magazine, Nov 20, 2012.]
Chemical composition
leaves contain
caffeine (1.73–3.48 %),
theobromine and other dimethylxanthines (among them
paraxanthine and
theophylline).
Guayusa leaves also contain
theanine,
gallic acid,
guanidine,
isobutyric acid, nicotinic acid,
Vitamin C,
riboflavin,
choline,
pyridoxine,
,
chlorogenic acid and sugars among other compounds.
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See also
-
Yerba mate ( Ilex paraguariensis) - South American caffeinated holly species used to make ''Mate.
-
Yaupon holly ( Ilex vomitoria) - southeastern North American caffeinated holly species used to make the Black Drink.
-
Kuding ( Ilex kudingcha) - Asian holly species used with Ligustrum robustum for Chinese kǔdīng chá tea.
