Viñátigo (Persea indica)

Well-developed large tree, which can grow up to 25-30 m tall. Evergreen foliage, trunk evenly covered in lenticels (corky spots), particularly young specimens. Large leaves (the largest of all trees found in the evergreen forest, along with those of Pleiomeris canariensis), 8-23 cm long and 3-8 cm wide, lanceolate, light green, becoming red when ripe (especially before they drop). Flowers small, greenish; fruits are ovoid or ellipsoid drupes, blackening when ripe and up to 2 cm long. This species is highly characteristic and dominant in the evergreen forests of the Azores, Madeira and the Canaries, although it was most probably introduced into the Azores. Usually found in basins and ravines with a certain degree of moisture. Its range is between 200 and 1,500 m altitude, but it generally appears above 400-500 m. A curious aspect of this species is association with the black rat (Rattus rattus), which usually eats the tender shoots and fruit and gets ‘drunk’ on the alkaloids they contain.