Is a peanut a nut or a legume?

Question

Here's what I got from Wikipedia, "Although a nut in the culinary sense, in the botanical sense the fruit of the peanut is a woody, indehiscent legume or pod and not a nut."

So which is it? Is it both?

Answer 1

The article here speaks about the peanut FRUIT. ('Fruit' in botany has a broader sense, than 'fruit' in culinary sense. In botanical sense, cucumber, eggplant, beans all are fruits)

Peanut as a PLANT, is a legume. Legumes are plants that belong to family - leguminosae. (alternatively called family - fabaceae)

The word legume is also used to refer to the fruits of family - leguminosae. So peanut 'fruit' is a legume. 'Pod' is an alternative name for fruit legume. So it is correct to refer to the peanut fruit as a legume or pod.

Ok? Now the term 'nut'

The term 'nut' in commercial or culinary sense, is not always compatible with 'nut', in botanical sense. In botanical sense 'nut' is a fruit with hard, stony outer wall (pericarp). The fruit of Chestnuts , oak, hazelnuts are actually 'nuts' in botanical sense as well as in culinary sense. But the fruit of peanut is a nut in culinary sense, but actually a legume(pod) in botanical sense.

Same with almonds. It is actually, not a 'nut' in botanical sense. It's the seed of a type of fruit called 'drupe'. But still it's a nut in culinary sense.

So the answer to your question is, "Peanut plant is a 'legume'. Peanut fruit is a 'legume(pod)'. Peanut fruit is not a 'nut' in botanical sense, but it is considered as a 'nut' in culinary sense."
Am I making sense?

(Have a look at these links for different types of fruits.
http://www.botanical-online.com/frutossecosangles.htm#llegums
http://www.theseedsite.co.uk/fruits.html)

Answer 2

The peanut, or groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) is a species in the legume family Fabaceae native to South America. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing to 30 to 50 cm (1 to 1 1/2 feet) tall. The leaves are opposite, pinnate with four leaflets (two opposite pairs; no terminal leaflet), each leaflet 1 to 7 cm (1/3 to 2.75 inches) long and 1 to 3 cm (1/3 to 1 inch) broad. The flowers are a typical peaflower in shape, 2 to 4 cm (3/4 to one and a half inches) across, yellow with reddish veining. After pollination, the fruit develops into a legume 3 to 7 cm (1 to 2 inches) long containing 1 to 3 (rarely 4) seeds, which forces its way underground to mature.

Although a nut in the culinary sense, in the botanical sense the fruit of the peanut is a woody, indehiscent legume or pod and not a nut.

Peanuts are also known as earthnuts, goobers, goober peas, pindas, jack nuts, pinders, manila nuts and monkey nuts (the last of these is often used to mean the entire pod, not just the seeds).

Answer 3

The peanut is not, in a technical sense, a nut at all. It has the same characteristics as peas in a pod, even down to the skin that surrounds the meat. The peanut is often included in the nut family because of its taste, use and the allergies that people can have to it.

Answer 4

Peanuts are nut-like seeds, but they are seeds, edible seeds. The plant itself is a legume plant, not the seeds.

Edit: the third source is not from yahoo answers though it looks like it is, it is a separate website where according the Barron's, a food encyclopedia there, it is a legume, not a nut, according to them.

Answer 5

It is a subtropical legume, Arachis hypogaea, native to Brazil.
Also, in America anyway, it is called a Goober. A true nut grows on a tree, like pecans, walnuts, etc.

Answer 6

legumes in french are vegetables. the word for peanuts is les cacahuètes

Answer 7

a legume. the very same way that a pineapple is not a pine nor a n apple.

Answer 8

Botanically, it is a legume.

Answer 9

It's a legume, related to peas, beans, locust, ...

Answer 10

Its a nut... I believe