Guarana

Paullinia cupana syn. P.sorbilis
The herbal plant known as the guarana is a native South American species of climbing shrub, growing wild in the expansive Amazon Basin. The guarana is cultivated for its seeds in this region of the world. The roasted and pulverized guarana seeds are made into a paste – also called gum – by mixing it with a little water. The paste is molded into bars and dried for consumption as an herbal treat. The guarana plant contains a fair amount of the alkaloid caffeine and traces of other related alkaloids including the compounds theophylline and theobromine similar to other plants used as stimulants.