noun
- A holly shrub native to the southeastern United States, also known as yaupon holly, whose leaves are used to make a caffeinated beverage.
Usage: Also spelled casina or cassina; Regional, primarily southeastern U.S.; The beverage made from cassena leaves was traditionally consumed by Native Americans
Examples
- The Timucua people brewed cassena as a ceremonial drink.
- Cassena grows naturally in coastal areas of the Carolinas and Florida.
- Early European colonists learned about cassena from Native American tribes.
- The leaves of the cassena plant contain caffeine similar to coffee.
- Cassena was an important trade item in colonial southeastern America.