Fabaceae
Arachis

Arachis hypogaea L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 741 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is a cultigen from Bolivia. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is used as animal food, a poison, a medicine and invertebrate food, has environmental uses and social uses and for fuel and food.

Descriptions

Leguminosae, J. B. Gillett, R. M. Polhill & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit
Annual erect or straggling herb ± 30 cm. long.
Morphology Stem
Stems at first pilose, later glabrescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 4-foliolate; leaflets obovate or elliptic, 1–7 cm. long, 0.7–3.2 cm. wide, rounded or emarginate and mucronate at the apex, narrowly rounded to the base, glabrous, or sparsely pilose beneath, ciliate; free part of petiole 1.5–7 cm. long; petiolules 1–2 mm. long; stipules 1.5– 4 cm. long; free part linear-lanceolate, very acute, 0.6–3.2 cm. long, ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers axillary, apparently solitary and stalked; primary bracts ovate-lanceolate, 1–1.4 cm. long, 4–5 mm. wide, biapiculate; secondary bracts similar but bifid.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Receptacle 0.2–4 cm. long, pilose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla yellow, mostly with red nerves, 0.7–1.3 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 8–9.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods 2–6 cm. long, 1–1.5 cm. wide, the gynophore becoming 1–20 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds irregularly ovoid, 1–2 cm. long and ± two-thirds the length in diameter.
Figures
Fig. 63, p. 441.
Habitat
Occasionally found as an escape
Distribution
T1 T3 T4 T7 T8 U1 U4 Z probably originally native to Brazil, but now very widely cultivated throughout the tropics and extensively in certain parts of East Africa, particularly the Lake Province of Tanganyika (Bukoba, etc.) and Tabora Districtthe attempts to cultivate the plant as a very major production undertaking at Kongwa (T5) and Nachingwea (T8) failed
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Cultigen not known in the wild
Ecology
Africa: Cultivated
Morphology General Habit
Annual, Not climbing, Herb
Vernacular
Alune Americane, Alune Depemynt, Amendoim, Arachide, Aracide, Arakhis Podzemnyi, Cacachuet, Cacahouete, Cacahuete, Cacahuetes, Earthnut, Erdnuss, Erfyndygy, Eryongok, Goober, Ground Nut, Groundnut, Jordnot, Khuasan, Kitaiski Boby, Kitaiskie Oreshki, Maapa
[ILDIS]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
cacahuate, cacahuete, maní, maní blanco, maní blanco de picón, maní de picón, maní rojo, yacana
[UNAL]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Leguminosae, B. Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 3:6. 2000

Morphology General Habit
Annual, erect or straggling herb c. 30 cm long.
Morphology Stem
Stems at first pilose, later glabrescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 4-foliolate; leaflets 1–7 × 0.7–3.2 cm, obovate or elliptic, rounded or emarginate and mucronate at the apex, narrowly rounded to the base, glabrous, or sparsely pilose beneath, ciliate; free part of petiole 1.5–7 cm long; petiolules 1–2 mm long; stipules 1.5–4 cm long, free part 0.6–3.2 cm long, linear-lanceolate, very acute, ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers axillary, apparently solitary and stalked; primary bracts 10–14 × 4–5 mm, ovate-lanceolate, biapiculate; secondary bracts similar but 2-fid.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Receptacle 0.2–4 cm long, pilose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla yellow, usually with red nerves, 7–13 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 8–9.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit 2–6 × 1–1.5 cm, the gynophore becoming 1–20 cm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 1–2 cm long and c. two-thirds the length in diameter, irregularly ovoid.
[FZ]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Annual, c. 30 cm long
Morphology Leaves Leaflets
Leaflets obovate or elliptic, 1–7 x 0.7–3.2 cm
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Receptacle 0.2–4 cm long, pilose
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla 0.7–1.3 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod 2–6 x 1–1.5 cm; gynophore becoming 1–20 cm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynophore
Gynophore becoming 1–20 cm long.
Distribution
Sometimes grown at least in S2 and S3, and occasionally found as an escape.
Vernacular
Loos (Somali)
[FSOM]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 280 - 1850 m.; Amazonia, Andes.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba, trepadora
[CPLC]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Amazonia, Andean. Elevation range: 280–1850 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Amazonas, Antioquia, Caldas, Caquetá, Cauca, Cesar, Cundinamarca, Putumayo.
Habit
Herb, Climbing.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, shrubland, wetlands (inland), artificial - terrestrial.
Vernacular
Cacahuate, Maní, Planta de maní, Tiga
[UPFC]

Uses

Use
Chemical products, Domestic, Environmental, Food and Drink, Forage, Medicine, Weed
[ILDIS]

Use
Sometimes grown as an oilcrop
[FSOM]

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Fuel
Used for fuels.
Use Gene Sources
Used as gene sources.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Invertebrate Food
Used as invertebrate food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Poisons
Poisons.
Use Social
Social uses.
[UPFC]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • International Legume Database and Information Service

    • International Legume Database and Information Service (ILDIS) V10.39 Nov 2011
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0