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The avocado (Persea
americana), also known
as palta or aguacate
(Spanish), butter
pear or alligator
pear, is a tree native
to the Caribbean,
Mexico, South America
and Central America,
classified in the
flowering plant family
Lauraceae along with
cinnamon, camphor
and bay laurel. The
name "avocado"
also refers to the
fruit (technically
a large berry) of
the tree that contains
a pit (hard seed casing)
which may be egg-shaped
or spherical.
Avocados are a commercially
valuable crop whose
trees and fruit are
cultivated in tropical
climates throughout
the world (and some
temperate ones, such
as California), producing
a green-skinned, pear-shaped
fruit that ripens
after harvesting.
Trees are partially
self-pollinating and
often are propagated
through grafting to
maintain a predictable
quality and quantity
of the fruit. |
