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Persea americana

(Abacate, Aguacate, Alligator Pear, Avocado)

Overview:

Tree, native to central America, taken to southern Spain in 1601 and to Jamaica in 1650. Brought to Hawaii by Don Marin early in 19th century. First planted in Pauoa Valley, quickly became popular and today it is one of the most common trees in Honolulu. The use of avocado is increasing in the United States and the plant is now of commercial importance in California and Florida. They are often marketed as "calavos", a registered trademark of the Calavos Growers of California). Over 500 varieties are grown. Three major types are: 1) Indian, with fruits smooth, thin skinned, green or purple, usually ripening 6 - 9 months after flowering; 2) Guatemalan, with fruits with hard, rough skinned, usually ripening 9 - 12 months after flowering, and 3) Mexican, with very small fruits, sometimes considered a separate species. The fruit is generally pear-shaped. The pulp surrounding the large seed has a buttery consistency and contains up to 30% oil, and also is high in carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins. Aside from being valued as an edible fruit, the oil is used in cosmetics and soaps, and occasionally for illumination.

Conservation Status

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Population Analysis

  • For the 835,580 species in the Class Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons), we average 4.30 observations each in our database; for the Alligator Pear, we have 842 observations. Compared to other species in this Class, this species is extremely common.
  • A two-sample t-test can be used to determine whether the trend in observations of the Alligator Pear is the same as the trend in observations of Magnoliopsida. Is this species just as common, as a proportion of all observations, as it once was? The answer is no, changes in observation rate of this species significantly differ from changes in observation rate of its Class. (t=3.141, p<0.001)
  • How do observation rates of the Alligator Pear differ from those of Magnoliopsida? To answer this, we examined the percentage of observerations for Magnoliopsida that were observations of the Alligator Pear each year. We then correlated this percentage with observation year. If observations of the Alligator Pear are becoming more common relative to other species of Magnoliopsida, the correlation should be positive, but if it is becoming less common, the correlation should be negative. In fact, the correlation is positive (r=.03), with a positive slope (m = 4.362), suggesting that the Alligator Pear may be increasing relative to other species of Magnoliopsida. This correlation is statistically significant. (F = 76.73, p<.05)
  • The scatter chart to the right shows the percentage of all observations for Magnoliopsida each year that were observations of the Alligator Pear.

Taxonomy

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  • Domain: Eukaryota Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
    • Kingdom: Plantae Haeckel, 1866 - Plants
      • Subkingdom: Viridaeplantae Cavalier-Smith, 1981 - Green Plants
        • Phylum: Magnoliophyta Cronquist, Takhtajan & W. Zimmermann, 1966 - Flowering Plants
          • Subphylum: Spermatophytina (auct.) Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - Seed Plants
            • Infraphylum: Angiospermae auct.
              • Class: Magnoliopsida Brongniart, 1843 - Dicotyledons
                • Subclass: Magnoliidae Novk ex Takhtajan, 1967
                  • Superorder: Lauranae (Perleb, 1826) Takhtajan, 1997
                    • Order: Laurales Perleb, 1826
                      • Suborder: Laurineae
                        • Family: Lauraceae (law-russ) Durande, 1782, nom. cons. - Laurel Family
                          • Subfamily: Lauroideae
                            • Genus: Persea (PER-see-uh) Miller, Gard. Dict. Abr., ed. 4. 1754. - Red bay [used by Theophrastus for an oriental tree]
                              • Specific epithet: americana P. Mill.
                                • Botanical name: Persea americana Mill.

Unambiguous Synonyms:

  1. Perizoma rhomboidea (Gillies & Hook.) Small
  2. Salpichroa rhomboidea (Gillies & Hook.) Miers

Notes:

Name Status: Accepted Name. Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Place of publication: Gard. dict. ed. 8: Persea no. 1. 1768

Name verified on 23-Jan-1992 by ARS Systematic Botanists. Last updated: 19-Dec-2007

Physical Description

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Family Lauraceae:

Shrubs to tall trees, evergreen or rarely deciduous ( Cassytha a parasitic vine with leaves reduced to scales), usually aromatic. Leaves alternate, rarely whorled or opposite, simple, without stipules, petiolate. Leaf blade: unlobed (unlobed or lobed in Sassafras ), margins entire, occasionally with domatia (crevices or hollows serving as lodging for mites) in axils of main lateral veins (in Cinnamomum ) . Inflorescences in axils of leaves or deciduous bracts, panicles (rarely heads), racemes, compound cymes, or pseudoumbels (spikes in Cassytha ), sometimes enclosed by decussate bracts. Flowers bisexual or unisexual, bisexual only, or staminate and pistillate on different plants, or staminate and bisexual on some plants, pistillate and bisexual on others; flowers usually yellow to greenish or white, rarely reddish; hypanthium well developed, resembling calyx tube, tepals and stamens perigynous; tepals 6(-9), in 2(-3) whorls of 3, sepaloid, equal or rarely unequal, if unequal then usually outer 3 smaller than inner 3 (occasionally absent in Litsea ) ; stamens (3-) 9(-12), in whorls of 3, but 1 or more whorls frequently staminodial or absent; stamens of 3d whorl with 2 glands near base; anthers 2- or 4-locular, locules opening by valves; pistil 1, 1-carpellate; ovary 1-locular; placentation basal; ovule 1; stigma subsessile, discoid or capitate. Fruits drupes, drupe borne on pedicel with or without persistent tepals at base, or seated in ± deeply cup-shaped receptacle (cupule), or enclosed in accrescent floral tube. Seed 1; endosperm absent.

Genera ca. 50, species 2000-3000 (9 genera, 13 species in the flora) : pantropical, a few species also in subtropical and temperate regions

Cassytha is sometimes placed in its own family, Cassythaceae; it is here retained in Lauraceae.[1]

Genus Persea:

Shrubs to medium-sized trees, evergreen. Bark reddish brown, thin, fissured. Leaves alternate, aromatic. Leaf blade pinnately veined; surfaces pubescent, especially abaxially, becoming glabrescent with age; domatia absent. Inflorescence appearing when mature leaves are present, axillary, flowers in pedunculate, compound cymes. Flowers bisexual; tepals persistent, yellowish, pubescent, outer tepals slightly shorter than inner; stamens 9, anthers 4-locular, 4-valved, anthers of outer 6 stamens introrse, anthers of inner 3 latrorse; staminodes 3, sagittate; ovary nearly globose. Drupe dark blue to black, nearly globose, borne on pedicel with tepals persistent at base; cupule absent. x = 12.

Species ca. 150: tropical and subtropical regions, Western Hemisphere.

Pubescence type and density are the most reliable characteristics in identifying species and are best seen on young leaves and branches.[2]

Habit: Evergreen.

Flowers: Bloom Period: March, April, May. • Flower Color: pale green

Images:

Distribution

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Range and Population

Caribbean

Native: .

Reproduction

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Duration: Perennial

Growth

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Culture: Space 20-30' apart.

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade.

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b. (map)

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Persea:

There are approximately 538 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them: P. americana drymifolia · P. borbonia humilis · P. borbonia pubescens · P. borbonia borbonia · P. acuminata · P. acuminatissima · P. acunae · P. alba · P. albida · P. albiramea · P. albiramea der · P. alpigena · P. alpigena var. harrisii · P. americana (Abacate) · P. americana 'Bernecker' (Alligator Pear) · P. americana 'Booth 8 & Taylor' · P. americana 'Brogdon' (Alligator Pear) · P. americana 'Choquette' (Alligator Pear) · P. americana 'Emerald' (Avocado) · P. americana 'Hass' · P. americana 'Knowles' (Avocado) · P. americana 'Lula' (Alligator Pear) · P. americana 'Miguel' (Alligator Pear) · P. americana 'Simmonds' (Alligator Pear) · P. americana subsp. drymifolia · P. americana var. americana · P. americana var. angustifolia · P. americana var. drymifolia · P. americana var. floccosa · P. americana var. guatemalensis · P. americana var. leiogyna · P. americana var. Lulu (Avocado) · P. americana var. nubigena · P. americana var. steyermarkii · P. americana var. tolimanensis · P. americana var. zentmyeri · P. amoneana · P. amplexicaulis · P. amplexicaulis var. amplifolia · P. amplifolia · P. angustifolia · P. anomala · P. areolatocostae · P. argentea · P. arisanensis · P. aurata · P. aurita · P. austin-smithii · P. australis · P. austroguizhouensis · P. ayui-y · P. azorica · P. baileyana · P. balansae · P. bancana · P. baviensis · P. benthamiana · P. bernardii · P. bilocularis · P. blumei · P. bofo · P. boldufolia · P. bolivienis · P. boliviensis · P. bombycina · P. bonii · P. bootanica · P. borbonia (Florida Mahogany) · P. borbonia borbonia · P. borbonia f. pubescens · P. borbonia subsp. humilis · P. borbonia subsp. pubescens · P. borbonia var. borbonia · P. borbonica · P. bournei · P. bracteata · P. brenesii · P. breviflora · P. brevipes · P. brevipetiolata · P. brevipetiolata der · P. brossiana · P. buchtienii · P. bullata · P. caerulea · P. caesia · P. camfora · P. campii · P. canariensis · P. canescens · P. carolinensis · P. caroliniensis · P. caroliniensis f. pubescens · P. caroliniensis var. pubescens · P. caryophyllacea · P. caryophyllata · P. cassia · P. catesbyana · P. cathia · P. caustica

Bibliography

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  • Burger, W. C., ed. 1971–. Flora costaricensis. (F CostaR)
  • Hackett, C. & J. Carolane. 1982. Edible Horticultural Crops. (Edible HC)
  • IPGRI. New World Fruits Database - on-line resource. (New World Fruits)
  • Kopp, L. E. 1966. A taxonomic revision of the genus Persea in the Western Hemisphere (Perseae-Lauraceae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 14(1):15.
  • Krssmann, G. (1977a): Handbuch der Laubgehlze, vol. II, Berlin, Hamburg: Parey
  • Liogier, A. H. 1981–. Flora of Hispaniola: Part 1; La Flora de la Española. Part II-. (F Hispan)
  • Liogier, H. A. 1984–. Descriptive flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands. (F PuertoR)
  • McGuffin, M. et al., eds. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2. (Herbs Commerce ed2)
  • Munro, D. B. Canadian poisonous plants information system - on-line resource. (Can Poison Pl)
  • Rohwer, J. G. 1993. Lauraceae: Nectandra. In: Organization for Flora Neotropica. 1968+. Flora Neotropica. 65+ vols. New York. Monogr. 60.
  • Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses. (Avocado) 19–23.
  • Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1946–1976. Flora of Guatemala. (F Guat)
  • Stevens, W. D. et al., eds. 2001. Flora de Nicaragua. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 85(1-3). (F Nicaragua)
  • Steyermark, J. A. et al., eds. 1995–. Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana. (F VenGuay)
  • Verheij, E. W. M. & R. E. Coronel, eds. 1991. Edible fruits and nuts. Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA). (Pl Res SEAs) 2:249.
  • Williams, L. O. 1977. The avocados, a synopsis of the genus Persea, subg. Persea. Econ. Bot. 31:315–320.
  • Wood, C. E. Jr. 1958. The genera of the woody Ranales in the southeastern United States. J. Arnold Arbor. 39: 296-346.

More Info

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Notes

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Contributors:

  • Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
  • Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2006. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed April 6, 2007.
  • Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed November 22, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 30 providers.
  • USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL (April 30, 2008)

Data Sources:

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 22, 2007:

Identifiers:

Footnotes:

  1. Henk van der Werff "Lauraceae". in Flora of North America Vol. 3. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org.
  2. B. Eugene Wofford "Persea". in Flora of North America Vol. 3. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org.

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Last Revised: May 15, 2008