Taxon: Persea americana Mill.

Summary

Genus:

Persea

Subgenus:

Persea

Family:

Lauraceae

Nomen number:

27393

Place of publication:

Gard. dict. ed. 8: Persea no. 1. 1768

Verified:

01/23/1992 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

639 (156 active, 152 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Persea americana Mill. race guatemalan (0 active accession[s])
Persea americana Mill. race mexican (0 active accession[s])
Persea americana Mill. race west indian (0 active accession[s])

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Heterotypic Synonym(s)


Laurus persea L.
Persea persea (L.) Cockerell
Persea floccosa Mez
Persea americana Mill. var. nubigena (L. O. Williams) L. E. Kopp
Persea nubigena L. O. Williams
Persea gigantea L. O. Williams
Persea steyermarkii C. K. Allen
Persea americana Mill. var. tolimanensis (Zentmyer & Schieber) Scora, nom. inval.
Persea americana Mill. var. zentmyeri Scora, nom. inval.
Persea zentmyeri Schieber & B. Bergh, nom. inval.
Persea tolimanensis Zentmyer & Schieber, nom. inval.
Persea nubigena L. O. Williams var. nubigena

Invalid Designation(s)
Persea americana Mill. var. floccosa (Mez) Scora, nom. inval.
Persea americana Mill. var. steyermarkii (C. K. Allen) Scora, nom. inval.

Images (1 total. Click on image for more.)

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
Ashworth, V. E. T. M. et al. 2011. Chapter 8. Persea. In: Kole, C., ed., Wild crop relatives: genomic and breeding resources. Tropical and subtropical fruits 173-188.
Burger, W. C., ed. 1971-. Flora costaricensis.
Chanderbali, A. S. et al. 2013. Chapter 3. Taxonomy and botany. In: Schaffer, B. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 35.
Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Hackett, C. & J. Carolane. 1982. Edible Horticultural Crops Academic Press.
Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
IPGRI. New World Fruits Database (on-line resource).
Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada.
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.
Liogier, H. A. 1981-. Flora of Hispaniola: Part 1; La Flora de la Española. Part II-.
Liogier, H. A. 1984-. Descriptive flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands.
McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Munro, D. B. Canadian poisonous plants information system (on-line resource).
Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 19-23. Note: this review accepts Persea americana with varieties
Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1946-1976. Flora of Guatemala.
Stevens, W. D. et al., eds. 2001. Flora de Nicaragua. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 85(1-3).
Steyermark, J. A. et al., eds. 1995-. Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana. Note: Missouri Botanical Garden & Timber Press
Verheij, E. W. M. & R. E. Coronel, eds. 1991. Edible fruits and nuts. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 2:249.
Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:783. DOI: 10.1016/j.mb.2016.06.017.
Wagner, W. L. et al. 1990. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawai'i
Williams, L. O. 1977. The avocados, a synopsis of the genus Persea, subg. Persea. Econ. Bot. 31:315-320.
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).

Common names

Language	Name	seq	Citation
English	avocado	1	Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
French	avocatier	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
German	Avocado	2	Reichel, S. 1998. pers. comm. Note: re. German common names
German	Avocadobaum	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
German	Avocadopalme	2	Reichel, S. 1998. pers. comm. Note: re. German common names
Japanese Rōmaji	abokado	2	Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
Japanese Rōmaji	wani-nashi	2	Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
Portuguese (Brazil)	abacate	2	Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Spanish	aguacate	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanish	palto	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Swedish	avokado	2	Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Transcribed Chinese	e li	2	Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	San Luis Potosí		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 22-23.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Sinaloa		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 22-23.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Sonora		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 21-22.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Tamaulipas		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 22-23.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Campeche		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 19-23. Note: this review accepts Persea americana with varieties
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Chiapas		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Nayarit		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 21-22.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Oaxaca		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 20.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Puebla		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Quintana Roo		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 21-22.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Tabasco		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 21-22.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Belize	Corozal		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 21-22.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Costa Rica			Burger, W. C., ed. 1971-. Flora costaricensis.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Costa Rica	Alajuela		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 21-22.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Costa Rica	Puntarenas		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 20.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	El Salvador			Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	El Salvador	Chalatenango		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	El Salvador	Santa Ana		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Guatemala			Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 19-23. Note: this review accepts Persea americana with varieties
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Guatemala	Baja Verapaz		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Guatemala	Chimaltenango		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 20.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Guatemala	Huehuetenango		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 21-22.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Guatemala	Jalapa		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Guatemala	Quiché		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Guatemala	Sololá		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 21-22.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Guatemala	Zacapa		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 20.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Honduras			Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 19-23. Note: this review accepts Persea americana with varieties
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Honduras	Atlántida		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 21-22.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Honduras	Copán		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 21-22.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Honduras	El Paraíso		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 21-22.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Honduras	Francisco Morazán		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 20.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Honduras	Intibucá		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 20.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Nicaragua			Stevens, W. D. et al., eds. 2001. Flora de Nicaragua. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 85(1-3).
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Nicaragua	Granada		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 20.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Nicaragua	Madriz		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 20.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Nicaragua	Matagalpa		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 20.
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	Venezuela	Amazonas	requires confirmation	Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
2	Cultivated					widely cult. in tropics & subtropics	Verheij, E. W. M. & R. E. Coronel, eds. 1991. Edible fruits and nuts. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 2:249.
2	Cultivated	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Nuevo León		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
2	Cultivated	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Guerrero		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
2	Cultivated	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Hidalgo		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
2	Cultivated	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Jalisco		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
2	Cultivated	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	México		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
2	Cultivated	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Michoacán de Ocampo		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
2	Cultivated	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
2	Cultivated	Southern America	Central America	Belize			Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 22-23.
2	Cultivated	Southern America	Central America	Costa Rica	Cartago		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
2	Cultivated	Southern America	Central America	Costa Rica	San José		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
2	Cultivated	Southern America	Central America	El Salvador	San Salvador		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
2	Cultivated	Southern America	Central America	Honduras	Olancho		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
2	Cultivated	Southern America	Central America	Nicaragua	Chontales		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
2	Cultivated	Southern America	Central America	Nicaragua	Jinotega		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
2	Cultivated	Southern America	Central America	Panama			Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 22-23.
2	Cultivated	Southern America	Central America	Panama	Chiriquí		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
2	Cultivated	Southern America	Central America	Panama	Panamá		Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
2	Cultivated	Southern America	Northern South America	Venezuela			Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
4	Naturalized	Pacific	North-Central Pacific	United States	Hawaii		Wagner, W. L. et al. 1990. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawai'i
4	Naturalized	Pacific	South-Central Pacific	French Polynesia			Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Pacific	South-Central Pacific	Pitcairn			Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
6	Other					origin Mesoamerica

Native
Northern America

NORTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas]
SOUTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Campeche, Chiapas, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Puebla, Quintana Roo, Tabasco]

Southern America

CENTRAL AMERICA: Belize [Corozal], Costa Rica [Alajuela, Puntarenas], Guatemala [Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Huehuetenango, Jalapa, Quiché, Sololá, Zacapa], Honduras [Atlántida, Copán, El Paraíso, Francisco Morazán, Intibucá], Nicaragua [Granada, Madriz, Matagalpa], El Salvador [Chalatenango, Santa Ana]
NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Venezuela [Amazonas (requires confirmation)]

Cultivated

REGION:

Northern America

NORTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Nuevo León]
SOUTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, México, Michoacán de Ocampo, Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave]

Southern America

CENTRAL AMERICA: Belize, Costa Rica [Cartago, San José], Honduras [Olancho], Nicaragua [Chontales, Jinotega], Panama [Chiriquí, Panamá], El Salvador [San Salvador]
NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Venezuela

Naturalized
Pacific

NORTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: United States [Hawaii]
SOUTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: Pitcairn, French Polynesia

Other (origin Mesoamerica)

Reference(s)

Burger, W. C., ed. 1971-. Flora costaricensis.
Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37.
Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 19-23. Note: this review accepts Persea americana with varieties
Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 20.
Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 21-22.
Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 22-23.
Stevens, W. D. et al., eds. 2001. Flora de Nicaragua. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 85(1-3).
Verheij, E. W. M. & R. E. Coronel, eds. 1991. Edible fruits and nuts. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 2:249.
Wagner, W. L. et al. 1990. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawai'i

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Reference
Human food	fruit	Scora, R. W. et al. 2002. Taxonomy and botany. In: Whiley, A. W. et al., eds., The avocado: botany, production and uses 15-37. Note: as Persea americana var. guatemalensis
Medicines	folklore	McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Medicines	folklore	Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Vertebrate poisons	mammals	Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada.

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=27393. Accessed 12 May 2026.