Peanut
| Title | Info |
|---|---|
| Common name | Peanut |
| Scientific name | Arachis hypogaea |
| Taxonomic group | Fabaceae |
| Source | Dan L. Perlman |
| Economic botany | Food plants |
| Food plants | Legumes |
| Keywords | Leguminosae |
Peanut. Originally from South America, this plant has been used by humans for over 4,000 years. The seed is high in oil and protein, and is used both to create cooking oil and as a food itself. After the flowers are pollinated, the stems push underground where the pod containing the nuts develops. This odd feature leads to one of the plant's other common names--groundnut--and to its scientific name, as hypogaea means underground.
