Peanut - Arachis hypogaea; peanut

Japanese: ラッカセイ(落花生) - ラッカセイ（英語表記）Arachis hypogaea; peanut

An annual plant of the legume family, native to South America. Also known as groundnut or peanut. The stem branches from the base and creeps partly along the ground. The leaves are alternate and even-pinnately compound, consisting of two pairs of leaflets, which close in the dark. In summer, yellow butterfly-shaped flowers bloom at the base of the leaves, and after flowering, the ovary stalk extends and penetrates the ground, where the pods swell. The name peanut comes from this characteristic. The pods are fleshy with a net-like texture, and when ripe, they dry out and become a hard shell. Usually, two seeds are produced per shell, and are wrapped in a thin reddish-brown seed coat, containing a lot of oil and protein. In addition to being eaten roasted, it is an important agricultural crop for making peanut butter and peanut oil.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

マメ科の一年草で，南アメリカ原産。別名ナンキンマメ (南京豆) ，ピーナッツ。茎は基部から分枝し，なかば地面をはう。葉は互生し2対の小葉から成り偶数羽状複葉で，暗所では小葉は閉じる。夏に，葉のつけ根に黄色の蝶形花をつけ，花後子房柄が伸びて地中に入り，地中で莢が肥大する。この性質から落花生の名がつけられた。莢は網条の凹凸のある多肉質，熟すると乾燥して硬い殼となる。種子は普通1つの殼に2個でき，紅褐色の薄い種皮に包まれ，多くの油と蛋白質を含む。炒って食用とするほか，ピーナッツバター，ピーナッツオイルなどをつくる重要な農作物である。

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