Yerba mate (from Spanish ; ) 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. It is well known as the source of the beverage called mate (, and other variations), traditionally consumed in central and southern 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. It was first used and cultivated by the Guaranà people and in some Tupà communities in southern Brazil, prior to the European colonization. It was scientifically classified by the Swiss botanist Moses Bertoni, who settled in Paraguay in 1895. Yerba mate can also be found in energy drinks.