avocado | genus | persea <sep> the avocado (persea americana) is a medium-sized, evergreen tree in the laurel family (lauraceae) it is native to the americas and was first domesticated by mesoamerican tribes more than 5,000 years ago then as now it was prized for its large and unusually oily fruit the tree likely originated in the highlands bridging south-central mexico and guatemala its fruit, sometimes also referred to as an alligator or avocado pear, is botanically a large berry containing a single large seed 
the genus of the avocado is persea.avocado (persea americana) is a medium-sized, evergreen tree in the laurel family