Variability in Mexican Avocados (Matuloj)
in
Eugenio Schieber
Plant Pathologist,
George
A. Zentmyer and Michael D.Coffey
Department
of Plant Pathology,
This brief report concerns a very
interesting small area in western
We have visited this area several times and
have made collections of fruit and budwood of several trees hi our search for
rootstocks resistant to avocado root rot caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi. A
recent trip on which this article is based was made by the senior author (E.S.)
in August 1983, a time when mature fruit were available on most of the
population of Matuloj trees.
Seven different trees of Matuloj
were found in the August 1983 trip, all located in a relatively small area of Malacatancito, on the property of Doña
Francisca Argueta. There is a striking variability
between these trees, some with a strong anise odor in the leaves and fruit,
others with no anise scent at all even though all other characters are those of
trees of the Mexican race.
Following is a brief description of each
tree, with the collection number assigned to the trees, and with photographs or
sketches of the fruit as available on this trip:
G-165 — Tree with strong anise scent in leaves, fruit with
smooth skin, small, ovoid, and purple in color; fruit peduncle or stalk green.
This tree was recently damaged by frost but new shoots are now coming out (a
tree grown from seed that we collected from this tree in 1976 is growing in the
senior author's garden on the shore of Lake Atitlan,
and is now bearing fruit).
G-166 — This similar-appearing tree has no anise odor in the
leaves; fruit has rough and irregular skin and is nearly black when ripe; fruit
peduncle is green.
G-335—Tree with strong anise scent in leaves and with a
striking red peduncle; fruit has smooth skin, is ovoid to elongate, and
purplish-black when ripe. This is the tallest avocado tree in the area and is
quite cold tolerant; it is the only tree in the area not damaged by a recent
frost.
G-335B — This is a tall seedling of G-335 with primarily the same
characteristics.
G-335C — This is
a smaller seedling of G-335 and is moderately similar, with some minor
variability.
G-516 — This tree has no anise odor in the leaves,
fruit is small, round, and almost black.
G-1102 — This is a new tree detected on the trip in August
1983, growing between pine trees in the area; the leaves do not have anise
scent. Fruit were not available at the time of the visit to the area. It is a
large, very old tree. Fruit will be collected on the next visit to the area in
the fall.
These collections at Malacatancito
would appear to have significance in relation to the origin and distribution of
Persea drymifolia in the
Also in recent years, the senior author
found some unique trees of P. drymifolia growing
in the native vegetation between forest trees. One such tree is in Cunen, in a very remote region in north-western
Fig. 1. Different types of fruit from four trees of Persea drymifolia (Mexican race; Matuloj)
growing in small area in
Fig. 2.
Fruit of collection G-335 from Malacatancito; leaves
have strong anise odor.
Fig. 3. Matuloj tree (G-516) without anise odor in
vegetative parts, growing in Malacatancito.
Fig. 4. Fruit of Matuloj tree
G-166, without anise odor; tree from Malacatancito.
Fig. 5. Fruit of typical Matuloj tree G-165, with
strong anise scent.