peanut

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• peanut
• Ground-Nut
• Peanut
• goober
• groundnut
• Earth Nut
• Monkey Nut
• Pindar
• pinder

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Arachidna hypogaea
• Arachis hypogaea subsp. nambyquarae
• Arachis hypogaea var. aequatoriana
• Arachis hypogaea subsp. fastigiata
• Arachis hypogaea var. nambyquarae
• Arachis hypogaea f. nambyquarae
• Arachis hypogaea var. peruviana
• Arachis hypogaea subsp. procumbens
• Arachis asiatica
• Arachis americana
• Arachis nambyquarae
• Arachis oleifera
• Arachis hypogaea var. hirsuta
• Arachis hypogaea var. vulgaris
• Arachis guaraniana

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and is classified under the class Equisetopsida. Following its subclass Magnoliidae, it is organized into the order Fabales and the family Fabaceae. Finally, the medicinal specimen is identified by its genus, Arachis.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific geographical distribution across several regions of the European continent. In Northern Europe, its presence can be observed within the borders of Great Britain. Moving toward the southeast, the species is also documented in Bulgaria. Its range extends into Eastern Europe, where it is found in Belarus and the Krym region. Finally, the plant is distributed throughout Central European Russia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Arachis hypogaea is defined by a specific altitudinal distribution that dictates its optimal growing conditions and environmental niche. This species thrives across a broad vertical gradient, occupying habitats ranging from low-lying areas at a minimum elevation of 280 m AMSL to higher reaches reaching a maximum of 1850 m AMSL. The central ecological preference of the plant is centered around a mean elevation of 1300 m AMSL, suggesting that its physiological requirements for temperature, atmospheric pressure, and moisture levels are most effectively met within this mid-altitude belt. This elevational range influences the specific microclimates the plant inhabits, affecting its growth patterns and ecological interactions throughout its various altitudinal strata.

Elevational range max:

1850 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

1300 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

280 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Arachis hypogaea is characterized by an annual lifecycle, meaning the plant completes its entire developmental process—from germination to seed production and senescence—within a single growing season. As a therophyte, it survives unfavorable environmental conditions primarily through the production of seeds, which remain dormant until favorable moisture and temperature levels trigger new growth. This strategy allows the species to colonize open, disturbed habitats efficiently, focusing its energy on rapid vegetative growth and a highly specialized reproductive mechanism involving geocarpy, before dying off at the end of the season.

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Arachis hypogaea is characterized by its growth as a non-woody herb, specifically categorized as a forb. It functions as a self-supporting plant, neither acting as a climber nor as a parasite, maintaining an independent life cycle. The species is strictly terrestrial, lacking any aquatic, semiaquatic, or epiphytic tendencies. In terms of stature, the plant exhibits a relatively low profile with a mean height of approximately 0.5 m, though its maximum height typically reaches around 0.3 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

0.3 m

Plant height mean:

0.5 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Arachis hypogaea is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency under standard environmental conditions. The plant does not exhibit succulence, maintaining a non-succulent vegetative structure that relies on standard transpiration and water regulation mechanisms rather than specialized water-storage tissues. Furthermore, it functions as a nitrogen fixer, utilizing a symbiotic relationship with rhizobia bacteria in its root nodules to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a bioavailable form, thereby enhancing its nutritional profile and soil enrichment capabilities.

Nitrogen fixer :

yes

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Succulence :

no

Reproduction

The reproduction of Arachis hypogaea is characterized by a biotic pollination syndrome, primarily driven by insects. The plant is capable of self-fertilization, ensuring reproductive success through the presence of self-fertilization mechanisms. The resulting fruit is categorized as dry. The seeds produced exhibit specific morphological dimensions, maintaining a consistent seed volume of 730 mm³ (with both minimum and maximum values recorded at 730 mm³). The seed mass varies slightly, with a minimum of 0.6079 g, a maximum of 0.6665 g, and a mean mass of 0.6372 g. Regarding the movement of offspring, the plant utilizes an unspecialized dispersal syndrome, though it is also noted for anthropochorous dispersal, indicating that human activity plays a role in the spread of its seeds.

Dispersal syndrome :

unspecialized

Dispersal syndrome :

anthropochorous

Fruit dryness :

dry

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Seed mass max:

0.6665 g

Seed mass mean:

0.6372 g

Seed mass min:

0.6079 g

Seed volume max:

730 mm³

Self fertilization :

present

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Arachis hypogaea has 1 reported plant parts identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include seed.

Seed

1. Biochimica et biophysica acta
2. Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry
3. Heliyon

Chemicals

Arachis hypogaea has 176 reported phytochemicals identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include resveratrol, AFLATOXINS, 5,7-Dihydroxychromone, AFLATOXIN B1, ALUMINUM.

resveratrol

1. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
2. Journal of separation science
3. CNS neuroscience & therapeutics
4. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Seminars in oncology

AFLATOXINS

1. Annales de la nutrition et de l'alimentation
2. Journal of AOAC International
3. ACS omega

5,7-Dihydroxychromone

1. Dr. Duke
2. Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.)

AFLATOXIN B1

1. Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM
2. Journal of AOAC International

ALUMINUM

1. Dr. Duke
2. Frontiers in physiology

FAT

1. Dr. Duke
2. Archiv fur Tierernahrung

ascorbic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)

aspartic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Brazilian journal of biology = Revista brasleira de biologia

linoleic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of oleo science

oleic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Heliyon

Activities

Arachis hypogaea has 635 reported activities identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antidiabetic, Antitumor, Antioxidant, Cardioprotective, Hepatoprotective.

Antidiabetic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of cellular physiology
3. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)

Antitumor

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of cellular physiology
3. Planta medica

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of cellular physiology

Cardioprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of cellular physiology

Hepatoprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of cellular physiology

11B-HSD-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

5-Alpha-Reductase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

5-HT-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

5-Lipoxygenase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

ACE-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Medicinal Uses

Arachis hypogaea has 25 reported medicinal uses identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include atherosclerosis, cancer, Antidiabetic, abiotic stress, aflatoxins.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations