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Arachis hypogaea |
Peanut |
Kacang tanah |
Leguminosaceae |
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The species name comes from the Greek for Ôbelow the earth,
referring to the unique botanical feature of this plant.
It is an annual that requires a long, warm growing season for the
fruit to mature fully. It grows to about 12 in (30 cm) tall and has
leaves with 4 leaflets and the red-veined, yellow flowers.
Cultivation: Anyone can grow peanuts simply by purchasing raw
peanuts from a health-food store and planting them just like beans,
to which their cultivation requirements are very similar. The soil
needs to be loose and open to allow the pegs to penetrate.
They require a protected, sunny position . |
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Peanut, groundnut, earthnut, cachuate, mani
The peanut plant hides its fruit in the ground.
Arachis is a genus endemic (restricted) to South America, and the
homeland appears to have been the Andean foothills in Bolivia.
Today peanuts are cultivated throughout the tropical and subtropical
world and even grow at 45 degrees N in Asia and Canada, where the
summers are hot. The leading producers of this crop are China,
India, the United States, Nigeria, and Senegal, and peanut
production (over 20 million metric tons annually) ranks in the top
25th among world food .
Typical time for the process from planted seed to dried pods is
about five months.
Seeds are important sources of vegetable oil and protein. The
triglycerides (oil) are high in oleic acid and moderately high in
linoleic acid but low in others; it is a nondrying oil, i.e., it
remains liquid and does not form a surface film when exposed to air.
Seeds contain 36-50% oil and usually 25-30% (to 40%) protein. Oil
can be expressed simply by crushing or with hot or cold treatments.
This product is widely used as a cooking oil and as a lubricant. The
oil is also used to manufacture items ranging from shaving cream and
soap to plastics. Seedcake had been used for livestock feed and
fertilizer, and shells have been used as filler for wallboard and
insulation.
Of course, seeds can be consumed after being salted or roasted. In
the United States more than 50% of all peanuts are used to make
peanut butter. These seeds are an excellent protein source and are
valuable for the malnourished peoples in Africa and Asia.
The U.S. harvest is almost two metric tons of fruits per acre.
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