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The peanut (Arachis hypogaea), also known as the groundnut,[2] goober (US),[3] goober pea,[4] pindar (US)[3] or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics by small and large commercial producers, both as grain legume[5] and as an oil crop.[6] Atypically among legumes, peanut pods develop underground leading botanist Carl Linnaeus to name peanuts hypogaea, which means “under the earth”.
The peanut belongs to the botanical family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), commonly known as the legume, bean, or pea family.[1] Like most other legumes, peanuts harbor symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria in root nodules,[7] which improve soil fertility, making them valuable in crop rotations.
Despite not meeting the botanical definition of a nut as “a fruit whose ovary wall becomes hard at maturity,”[8] peanuts are usually categorized as nuts for culinary purposes and in common English.
Peanuts are similar in taste and nutritional profile to tree nuts such as walnuts and almonds, and, as a culinary nut, are often served in similar ways in Western cuisines. World production of shelled peanuts in 2020 was 54 million tonnes, led by China with 34% of the total.
The peanut is an annual herbaceous plant growing 30 to 50 centimetres (12 to 20 in) tall.[9] As a legume, it belongs to the botanical family Fabaceae, also known as Leguminosae, and commonly known as the legume, bean, or pea family.[1] Like most other legumes, peanuts harbor symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their root nodules.[7]
The leaves are opposite and pinnate with four leaflets (two opposite pairs; no terminal leaflet); each leaflet is 1 to 7 cm (1⁄2 to 2+3⁄4 in) long and 1 to 3 cm (1⁄2 to 1+1⁄4 in) across. Like those of many other legumes, the leaves are nyctinastic; that is, they have “sleep” movements, closing at night.[citation needed]
The flowers are 1 to 1.5 cm (3⁄8 to 5⁄8 in) across, and yellowish orange with reddish veining.[10][9] They are borne in axillary clusters on the stems above ground and last for just one day. The ovary is located at the base of what appears to be the flower stem but is a highly elongated floral cup.[citation needed]
Peanut fruits develop underground, an unusual feature known as geocarpy.[11] After fertilization, a short stalk at the base of the ovary—often termed a gynophore, but which appears to be part of the ovary—elongates to form a thread-like structure known as a “peg”. This peg grows into the soil, allowing the fruit to develop underground.[11] These pods, technically called legumes, are 3 to 7 centimetres (1 to 3 in) long, normally containing one to four seeds.[10][9] The shell of the peanut fruit consists primarily of a mesocarp with several large veins traversing its length.[11]
Parts of the peanut include:
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Peanuts contain polyphenols, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, phytosterols and dietary fiber in amounts similar to several tree nuts.[12] Peanut skins contain resveratrol.[13][14]
