View source for Persea

__NOTOC__{{Plantbox
| name = ''Persea''
| common_names =     <!--- if multiple, list all, if none, leave blank -->
| growth_habit = ?   <!--- tree, shrub, herbaceous, vine, etc -->
| high = ?   <!--- 1m (3 ft) -->
| wide =     <!--- 65cm (25 inches) -->
| origin = ?   <!--- Mexico, S America, S Europe, garden, etc -->
| poisonous =     <!--- indicate parts of plants which are known/thought to be poisonous -->
| lifespan =     <!--- perennial, annual, etc -->
| exposure = ?   <!--- full sun, part-sun, semi-shade, shade, indoors, bright filtered (you may list more than 1) -->
| water = ?   <!--- frequent, regular, moderate, drought tolerant, let dry then soak -->
| features =     <!--- flowers, fragrance, fruit, naturalizes, invasive -->
| hardiness =     <!--- frost sensitive, hardy, 5°C (40°F), etc -->
| bloom =     <!--- seasons which the plant blooms, if it is grown for its flowers -->
| usda_zones = ?   <!--- eg. 8-11 -->
| sunset_zones =     <!--- eg. 8, 9, 12-24, not available -->
| color = IndianRed
| image = Persea borbonia.jpg
| image_width = 240px    <!--- leave as 240px if horizontal orientation photo, or change to 180px if vertical -->
| image_caption = ''Persea borbonia'' foliage and fruit
| regnum = Plantae
| divisio = Magnoliophyta
| classis = Magnoliopsida
| ordo = Laurales
| familia = Lauraceae
| genus = Persea
}}
{{Inc|
Persea (ancient Greek name of an Egyptian tree with sweet fruit; 
derivation unknown, probably from Perseus). Lauraceae. Woody plants 
sometimes grown for ornament; and one of them yields the avocado, one 
of the best of the semi-tropical fruits.

Leaves alternate, entire: fls. small, hermaphrodite, usually in 
panicles; corolla wanting, the calyx deeply 6-parted; stamens usually 
12, in 4 series, with one series sterile; ovary sessile and tapering 
into a slender style bearing a simple stigma.—Shrubs and trees 
distributed throughout the tropics and subtropics, most of the 
species being confined to S. Amer., but one coming from the Canary 
Isls. and a few from S. E. Asia. As defined by Bentham & Hooker, the 
genus contains about 100 species, but Meissner (DC. Prodr. 15, pt. 1. 
43) distributes some of the species in other genera and retains only 
50 in Persea. Mez, in his monograph on the American Lauraceae: 
(Jahrb. Konigl. Bot. Gart. 1889, 5. 135), describes 47 American 
species. P. gratissima, the avocado, widely cult, throughout Trop. 
Amer. and elsewhere for its fr., is the only species of great 
economic importance. Others are of ornamental value, and may prove 
useful as stocks upon which to bud or graft the avocado, although 
experiments have not been very encouraging up to the present. P. 
Borbonia grows naturally as far north as N. C.; P. indica is now and 
then seen in cult, in Fla. and Calif. Some of the Cent. American 
types referred to P. gratissima seem distinct, and may be found to 
constitute good species.

P. drymifolia, Cham. & Schlect,, is now considered to be a form of P. 
gratissima; it is the type with anise-scented lvs. and small, 
thin-skinned frs. described above as Mexican. Mez recognizes it as a 
botanical variety and describes it along with another variety, 
P.gratissima var. Schiediana,also indigenous to Mex-The hardy avocado 
or yas of San Jose,Costa Rica has been referred by Werekle to 
P.frigida Lind., but this name is of doubtful validity. The fr. is 
figured by Collins (Bull. 77, Bur. Pl. Ind.), and is said to be of 
possible value for hybridization with more tender species. It is 
spherical, about 3 in. diam., with a very large seed.—P. lingue, 
Nees, and P. Meyeniana, Nees, are two species which have recently 
been intro. to the U. S. from Chile.
{{SCH}}
}}

==Cultivation==
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===Propagation===
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===Pests and diseases===
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==Species==
The genus ''Persea'' is treated in three subgenera{{SCH}}. The Asian subgenus ''Machilus'' is treated in a separate genus '''''Machilus''''' by many authors, including in the ''Flora of China'', while graft-incompatibility between subgenus ''Persea'' and subgenus ''Eriodaphne'' suggests that these too may be better treated as distinct genera, in fact [[André Joseph Guillaume Henri Kostermans|Kostermans]] (1993) founded the genus ''Mutisiopersea'' for these{{SCH}}. Another closely related genus ''[[Beilschmiedia]]'' is also sometimes included in ''Persea''{{SCH}}.

;Subgenus ''Persea'' - [[Central America]]. Two species.
*''[[Avocado|Persea americana]]'' - Avocado
**''Persea americana'' var. ''drymifolia''
**''Persea americana'' var. ''floccosa''
**''Persea americana'' var. ''guatemalensis''
**''Persea americana'' var. ''nubigena''
**''Persea americana'' var. ''steyermarkii''
*''[[Persea schiedeana]]'' - Coyo

;Subgenus ''Eriodaphne'' (''Mutisiopersea'') - [[The Americas]], [[Macaronesia]]. About 70 species, including:
*''[[Persea alpigena]]''
*''[[Persea borbonia]]'' – Redbay
*''[[Persea caerulea]]''
*''[[Persea cinerascens]]''
*''[[Persea donnell-smithii]]''
*''[[Persea indica]]'' – Viñátigo (possibly better treated in a fourth subgenus of its own)
*''[[Persea lingue]]'' – Lingue
*''[[Persea longipes]]''
*''[[Persea palustris]]'' – Swampbay
*''[[Persea skutchii]]''

;Subgenus ''Machilus'' - [[Asia]]. About 80 species, including:
*''Persea edulis''
*''Persea ichangensis'' 
*''Persea japonica''
*''Persea macrantha''
*''Persea nanmu''
*''Persea thunbergii''
*''Persea yunnanensis''

==Gallery==
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<gallery>
Image:Upload.png| photo 1
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==References==
*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->
<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->
<!--- xxxxx  *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608  -->

==External links==
*{{wplink}}

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[[Category:Categorize]]

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