FoI
Groundnut
Share Foto info
Groundnut
A Naturalized Photo: Gaurav Mudgal
Common name: Groundnut, earthnut, monkey nut, peanut • Assamese: চীনাবাদাম chinabadam • Bengali: চীনাবাদাম chinabadam, মাটকলাই matakalai • Gujarati: મગફળી magaphali, સીંગદાણા singdana • Hindi: चीनाबदाम chinabadam, मूंगफली mungphali, विलायती मूंग vilayati-mung • Kannada: ಕಡಲೆಕಾಯಿ kadalekaayi, ನೆಲಗಡಲೆ nelagadale • Konkani: भूंयीमूग bhunyimuga, नेलकड्लो nelakadlo • Malayalam: കപ്പലണ്ടി kappalanti, നിലകടല nilakatala • Manipuri: ꯂꯩ ꯕꯥꯛ ꯍꯋꯥꯢ Leibak hawai ꯕꯗꯥꯝ Badam • Marathi: बादामचिनी badamchini, भुईमूग bhuimuga, भुईशेंग bhuishenga, शेंगदाणा shengdana, विलायती मूग vilayati mug • Punjabi: ਮੂੰਗ ਫਲੀ mung phali • Tamil: மணிலாக்கொட்டை manila-k-kottai, மனிலாப்பயறு manila-p-payaru, நிலக்கடலை nila-k-katalai, வேர்க்கடலை ver-k-katalai • Telugu: వేరుసెనగ veru-senaga
Botanical name: Arachis hypogaea    Family: Fabaceae (Pea family)
Synonyms: Lathyrus esquirolii, Arachis hypogaea var. hypogaea
The groundnut plant is a low-growing, annual with a central upright stem. The numerous branches vary from low-flat to almost erect. It grows to 1 to 1 1/2 feet tall. The leaves are opposite, pinnate with four leaflets (two opposite pairs; no terminal leaflet), each leaflet 1 to 7 cm long and 1 to 3 cm broad. The flowers are a typical peaflower in shape, 2 to 4 cm across, yellow with reddish veining. After pollination, the fruit develops into a pod 3 to 7 cm long containing 1 to 3 (rarely 4) seeds, which forces its way underground to mature. That where the name groundnut comes from. Groundnuts are eaten in various forms. Roasted, salted groundnuts, boiled groundnuts, fried groundnuts, peanut butter are examples. Groundnut is native to South America, but now found widespread.
Identification credit: Prashant Awale Photographed in Andhra Pradesh & Maharashtra.
• Is this flower misidentified? If yes,