Peanut

Leguminosae Arachis hypogaea L.

The peanut plant is procumbent or semi-erect, with rather small compound-pinnate, smooth leaves. The seeds are enclosed in a rather fibrous pod. After the flowers are pollinated a short, thick stem at the flower base, tenned gynophore, grows downward and penetrates into the soil, so the fruiting body develops entirely underground. Seeds, the edible part, are 1 to 4 per pod, 0.25 - to 0.75 -inch long and vary from near globose to elongated. In harvesting, the entire plant with adhering seed pods is lifted from the soil, mainly mechanically, dried in windrows or stacks, then threshed to remove the seeds.

Production in U. S.: About 1,500,000 acres grown; about 1,250,000 tons of nuts.

Use: Seeds roasted and eaten directly or in confections and baked goods; ground for peanut butter; crushed for oil. Tops of plants, hulls, and cake from oil extraction used for livestock feed.

Parts of plants consumed: Seeds only for food; tops and hulls for feed.