Persea americana (rattlus)
By the bequest of Scott Ward
1993
Weight: 61 g
Length: 8.5 cm
This specimen has an ossified hard outer shell with a pitted surface. It has shrunk slightly while drying. Perhaps its most remarkable feature has nothing to do with its appearance. When shaken, its loose pit creates a rattling sound. (Some people use this loose-pit phenomenon to select a ripe avocado at the grocery store. They shake it and listen to hear whether the pit rattles—an indication of ripeness. By that standard, this avocado is very ripe.) NEXT >