Abelmoschus esculentus (L - the University of Maine at Fort Kent

Kermath, Bennett and Pulsipher - Food Plants in the Americs
REFERENCES: Cavalcante 1991, Martin et al. 1987
Pernettya prostrata (Cav.) DC.
FAMILY: Ericaceae (heath)
SPANISH: arrayán, borrachero, capulincillo, fruta de perro,
garambullo, macha macha, mortillo, mortiño
USES/NOTES: Fruits reportedly are edible, though also said to
poison livestock and intoxicate humans.
NATURAL RANGE: Central Mexico through the Andes to northwestern
Argentina
REFERENCES: Luteyn 1995
Persea americana Miller var. americana [syn. P. gratissima
Gaertner f., P. leiogyna S.F. Blake, Laurus persea L.]
FAMILY: Lauraceae (laurel)
ENGLISH: alligator pear, avocado, avocado pear, avocato pear,
butter pear, Florida avocado, midshipman’s butter, palta, pear,
vegetable butter, West Indian avocado
PORTUGUESE: abacate, abacate-roxo, agnacate, louro-abacate, palta
SPANISH: abacate, aguacate, aguacate oloroso, apahuata, ashue,
avacate, bego, cupandra, cura, curo, gurapo (seed only), huira
palta, okze, pagua, pahua, palta, palto, on, testículos
USES/NOTES: Generally smooth-skinned, oily fruits are eaten raw, as
juice, in ice cream, in salads, or mashed as guacamole, fruit’s
edible oil is produced commercially, and flowers are prized for
honey production. Leaves, or hojas de aguacate in Spanish, are
used like bay leaves (Laurus nobilis), sometimes added to salsas.
A cross between P. americana var. americana and P. guatemalensis,
known as the haas avocado, is the smallest, darkest, and
roughest-skinned avocado available on international markets.
Avocados are considered to be a healthy source of vegetable fats.
NATURAL RANGE: Southern Mexico or elsewhere in Mesoamerica, or
possibly Colombia
REFERENCES: Accorsi et al. n.d., Boom 1987, Brouk 1975, Carneiro
Martins 1989, Duke 1986, Facciola 1990, Ford 1984, Guia Rural
n.d., Heiser 1979a, Howard 1994, IBGE 1980, Kermath (notes),
Mabberley 1987, Morton 1987a, Niembro Rocas 1992, OAS 1973,
Schneider 1987, Uphof 1968, von Reis Altschul 1973, Whiley et al.
2002, Williams 1977
Persea americana var. drymifolia (Cham. & Schltdl.) Blake [syn. P.
drymifolia Cham. & Schltdl.]
FAMILY: Lauraceae (laurel)
ENGLISH: Mexican avocado
SPANISH: aguacate mexicano, aguacatillo, avacate oloroso
USES/NOTES: Thin skined, often “loose” seeded, green to black
fruit, generally smaller to much smaller than that of P.
americana var. americana, is eaten as a snack, skin and pulp, or
prepared as a condiment. Eating the fruit skin and all, makes for
an interesting flavor, as the pulp is typical of quality oily
DRAFT - DO NOT DUPLICATE OR DISTRIBUTE
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