groundnut

groundnut, common name for several different genera of twining herbaceous, leguminous plants with geocarpie (underground fruits), chiefly the peanut. Groundnuts are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Rosales, family Leguminosae.

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groundnut

Any of several plants that bear edible fruit or other nutlike parts. Three are legumes: Arachis hypogaea, the peanut, the fruit of which is a legume or pod rather than a true nut; Apois americana, also called wild bean and potato bean, the tubers of which are edible; and Lathyrus tuberosa, also called earth-nut pea. Cyperus esculentus, nut sedge or yellow nut grass, is a papyrus relative (sedge family) that also bears edible tubers, especially in the variety called chufa or earth almond.