The avocado (Persea americana) is a tree long thought to have originated in South Central Mexico,[2] classified as a member of the flowering plant family Lauraceae.[3] Recent archaeological research produced evidence that the avocado was present in Peru as long as 8,000 to 15,000 years ago.[4] Avocado (also alligator pear) refers to the tree's fruit, which is botanically a large berry containing a single large seed.[5]
Avocados are commercially valuable and are cultivated in tropical and Mediterranean climates throughout the world.[3] They have a green-skinned, fleshy body that may be pear-shaped, egg-shaped, or spherical. Commercially, they ripen after harvesting. Avocado trees are partially self-pollinating and are often propagatedthrough grafting to maintain a predictable quality and quantity of the fruit.