Jon
12-26-2004, 11:49 AM
Hey everyone. Hope all of you are enjoying your Christmas and New Year's holidays. /images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif
I was wondering if any of you have used the plant Yaupon Holly (*Ilex vomitoria*) before. It's a subject of discussion for many of the local Boy Scout troops in this area, for several reasons.
I've been taught from a young age that its leaves contain caffeine, but I've never seen a scientific reference to back up that claim.
I have drunk the tea (it's quite good, iced) on several occasions with no noticeable effects, but I wouldn't expect to feel the caffeine, if that's what it is, unless it was very strong.
Local history tells of the Karankawas (a local tribe of Native Americans) boiling the leaves down to a thick, syrup-like liquid which would promote hallucinations for ceremonial purposes. I never knew anyone to boil it down thick enough for this to happen--and I certainly don't plan to try.
I'm told that cooking over a fire made of Yaupon, or roasting food on a yaupon stick, will make one sick. No firsthand experience there, although while staffing at a Scout camp as a teenager, one staff member reported that a Scout picked and ate a leaf of yaupon, which caused immediate vomiting.
That's about the extent of my knowledge of this plant. I'm curious if any of you have used the plant, or would be willing to share your knowledge. Thanks!
Jonathan
This link has a bit of info, including pics.
http://www.noble.org/imagegallery/woodhtml/YauponHolly.html
I was wondering if any of you have used the plant Yaupon Holly (*Ilex vomitoria*) before. It's a subject of discussion for many of the local Boy Scout troops in this area, for several reasons.
I've been taught from a young age that its leaves contain caffeine, but I've never seen a scientific reference to back up that claim.
I have drunk the tea (it's quite good, iced) on several occasions with no noticeable effects, but I wouldn't expect to feel the caffeine, if that's what it is, unless it was very strong.
Local history tells of the Karankawas (a local tribe of Native Americans) boiling the leaves down to a thick, syrup-like liquid which would promote hallucinations for ceremonial purposes. I never knew anyone to boil it down thick enough for this to happen--and I certainly don't plan to try.
I'm told that cooking over a fire made of Yaupon, or roasting food on a yaupon stick, will make one sick. No firsthand experience there, although while staffing at a Scout camp as a teenager, one staff member reported that a Scout picked and ate a leaf of yaupon, which caused immediate vomiting.
That's about the extent of my knowledge of this plant. I'm curious if any of you have used the plant, or would be willing to share your knowledge. Thanks!
Jonathan
This link has a bit of info, including pics.
http://www.noble.org/imagegallery/woodhtml/YauponHolly.html