Peanut, Groundnut
Arachis hypogea

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A spreading bushy plant up to about 40 cm high. Leaves are made up of 2 pairs of leaflets arranged opposite each other. Flowers are produced in the axils of leaves. Two main kinds occur. They are often called runner and bunch types. The runner kind has a vegetative or leafy branch between each fruiting branch and therefore produces a more spreading type of plant. This is called "Virginia" peanut. The pods have 2 dark brown seeds. The other kind produces fruiting branches in a sequence one after the other along the branches. These are called "Spanish-Valencia" types. They grow as a more upright plant and grow more quickly. They have lighter coloured leaves and the pods have 2 to 6 seeds which are often white. Virginia types have the flowers in alternate pairs. Spanish and Valencia types have several flower branches one after another along the stem. Pods are produced on long stalks which extend under the ground. The stalk or peg from the flower grows down into the soil and then produces the pod and seed under the ground. The flower needs to be no more than 18 cm from the soil for the seed pod to develop under ground.

There are about 75 Arachis species. After oil is extracted, the residual meal is eaten. Chemical composition (per 100g): Protein = 42.5g. Fat = 9.9g. Calcium = 60 mg. Iron = 9.0 mg. Vitamin B1 = .54 mg. Vitamin B2 = .54 mg. Niacin = 30.7 mg. Kcal = 387.

Where it is found

A tropical and subtropical plant. Peanuts grow well from sea level up to about 1650 metres altitude in the equatorial tropics. They need a temperature of about 28°C and between 24°C and 33°C. The plants get killed by frost. They need a well drained soil and cannot stand water-logging. Therefore they are often grown on raised garden beds. They do better in drier areas but need 300 to 500 mm of rain during the growing season. Near harvest dry weather is needed. It is grown between 40° N and 40°S. Short season cultivars are used in semi arid regions. It suits hardiness zones 8-12. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Amazon, Angola, Antigua-Barbuda, Antilles, Argentina (country/location of origin), Asia, Australia, Balkans, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Bougainville, Brazil (country/location of origin), Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Central America, Central Asia, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo DR, Congo R, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial-Guinea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Europe, Fiji, France, French Guiana, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Himalayas, Hispaniola, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Laos, Liberia, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Marianas, Martinique, Mauritius, Mexico, Middle East, Mongolia, Montserrat, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, North America, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Rotuma, Rwanda, Sahel, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Kitts and Nevis, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Turkey, Türkiye, Uganda, USA, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies, West Papua, West Timor, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The seeds can be eaten raw, or cooked. They are boiled, steamed, roasted, salted or made into peanut butter or flour for bread. The young leaves are edible, cooked. The unripe pods are cooked and eaten. Sprouted seeds are eaten. Oil is extracted from the seeds and is edible. It is often used for stir-frying. The remaining meal is also eaten.

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. A very popular snack food in all areas where it can be grown. Seeds are also sold.

Edible parts

Seeds, leaves, flavouring, spice, pods, vegetable, oil, caution

How it is grown

Peanuts require soil with good levels of calcium or they produce empty pods. Adding gypsum will improve this. If the nutrient boron is short then flowers won't flower and fruit properly. Because peanuts are legumes, they have root nodule bacteria which can fix their own nitrogen and this means they can still give good yields in grassland soils where nitrogen is at a lower level. The seeds or nuts are normally removed from the shell before planting and are sown 2 to 3 cm deep. The alternately branched or Virginia-type of peanuts have a dormancy period so that they must be stored before replanting. A suitable spacing is 10 cm between plants and 60 to 80 cm between rows. Often plants are grown in mixed cultures with other plants but where a pure stand is used up to 250,000 plants per hectare are used. The soil needs to be weeded and loose by the time the flowers are produced to allow the peg for the seed pods to penetrate the soil. Normally when the whole plant dies off the plant are ready to pull. They are left to dry in the sun for 3 or 4 days.

Flowering may commence in 30 days. It takes from 3.5 to 5 months till maturity. They are harvested when the top of the plants die. The whole plant is pulled out. Virginia peanuts have a longer growing season and the seeds need to be stored for a while before they will start to re-grow. (30 days.)

Its other names

Local names

Akate, Amendoim, Arer, Azi, Badam, Bhui mug, Bombole, Cacahuate, Chinabadam pata, Chini-badam, Damsi, Dauphong, Dikomaanti, Dindongo, Drop flower born, Dua phong, Ekpa, Endim-boanjo, Epa, Epa gidi, Fa-sang, Fore-rai, Geda, Goober, Granat, Guerte, Gugia, Gyada, Inchi, Kacang tana, Kaju-kadala, Kalanga, Katekokoo, Kofomboanjo, Kirikaju, Lubalala, Luphuasheng, Ma-kantr, Makate, Mani, Man-kand, Muafumo, Mungafali, Mung-phali, Myay-pe, Nchuku, Nduhu, Nela-gadale, Nelakadala, Neyerem, Nguba, Niki, Nikili, Nikli, Nilakkadalai, Nkate, Nkatie, onyrem, Ntongamane, Nuse, Nzungu, Nzyngu, Okba, Okpa, Pinati, Pinda, Pindar, Pitasy, Rakkasei, Rata caju, Ratakaju, Saandaek dei, Thonga, Thua lisong, Tiga, Tikomaanti, Torali, Ttangkong, Umbaz, Verkadalai, Verusenagalu, Yurak inchi

Synonyms

Arachis nambyquarae Hoehne;