Eden

Penang Botanic Gardens Plant Collection

Persea americana Mill. (LAURACEAE)

Posted at — Nov 13, 2019
Avocado

Description

Evergreen tree to 10 or more tall. Leaves 8-20 cm long, narrowly elliptic. Flowers 5-6 mm across, in branched clusters, yellowish-green. Fruits 8-18 cm long, yellow-green or reddish brown, usually pear-shaped, sometimes ovoid or globose; mesocarp fleshy and edible.

Ecology

Humid lowland forests on limestone formations.

Distribution

Mexico.

Uses

The fruit is widely appreciated with a buttery textured flesh. It is eaten raw, cooked or made into drinks. The tree is extensively cultivated in tropical and sub-tropical regions.