Peanut / Groundnut

Peanut, a legume of the pea family (Fabaceae)

Grown for its edible seeds

The peanut was at an early time introduced to the Old World tropics.

The seeds are a nutritionally dense food, rich in protein and fat.

Despite its several common names, the peanut is not a true nut.

As with other legumes, the plant adds nitrogen to the soil by means of nitrogen-fixing bacteria and is thus particularly valuable as a soil-enriching crop.

The peanut is an annual and can either be an erect shrubby plant, 45–60 cm (18–24 inches) high with short branches, or have a spreading form, 30–45 cm (12–18 inches) high with long branches that lie close to the soil.