The avocado (Persea americana) is a tree, long thought to have originated in South Central Mexico, classified as a member of the flowering plant family Lauraceae. Recent archaeological research produced evidence that the avocado was present in Peru as long as 8,000 to 15,000 years ago. Avocado (also alligator pear) refers to the tree's fruit, which is botanically a large berry containing a single large seed. (Wikipedia)