The Avocado and Company

Domain   - Eukarya
Kingdom - Plantae
Phylum   - Anthophyta  
Class       - Magnoliopsida
Order      - Laurales
Family    - Lauraceae
Genus     - Persea 
Species   - Persea americana

Domain:
There are three possible domains for an organism: Eukarya, Bacteria, Archea. Due to the presence of membrane bound organelles and a true nucleus, avocados are classified in the domain Eukarya.

Kingdom:
The kingdom plantae entails that an organism has chlorophyll, stores glucose as starch, has a cell wall made of cellulose, forms a cell plate during cell division, and also has an alternation of generations. Avocados possess all of these features, making them appropriate members of the kingdom plantae.

Phylum:
The characteristics of the phylum anthophyta include the production of seeds inside fruits that develop from the ovum of the flower. This is what the actual avocado fruit that we eat is!

Class:
Members in the class Magnoliopsida are considered dicots or eudicots. Dicots have two cotyledons, netlike leaf structure, the capability of growth in height as well as girth, and also the presence of flowers in fours or fives. Other members of this family include the mango, Magnifera indica, and the orange, Citrus sinensis, both found in the Sapindales order.

This chart shows the class Magnoliopsia and the orders that it possesses. The orange and mango mentioned above belong in the Sapindales order. The avocado belongs in the order Laurales, and the family Lauraceae. Now that you can picture how the avocado is classified in regard to class, order and family continue reading to see exactly what these classifications say about the organism.

Order:
The order Laurales encompasses seven families of trees and shrubs. Most of the organisms in this order are found in tropical climates. This order is also characterized by the presence of a lone strand of conducting tissue from leaf to stem.

Family:
Characteristics of the family Lauraceae include good lumber production, as well as very fragrant wood.  Other members of this family include cinnamon, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, and camphor, Cinnamomum camphora.

Genus:
The genus Persea consists of evergreen trees producing berries as fruits.

Continuing on in classification, this chart shows the order Laurales divided into the family Lauraceae. The family Lauraceae then divides into various genera, avocados belong in the genus Persea. As you can see there are other genera closely related to the avocado that have members you may be familiar with, such as the spicebush or cinnamon.

Species:
Persea americana, the scientific name for the avocado. This is the most specific classification for the avocado tree. No other organism in the world has the same title as the avocado.

 

 
Next, take a look at the habitat page, to see where avocados grow, or head to the home page to start from scratch.