Peanuts

Peanut is an annual herb that grows 30 to 50 cm. The leaves are opposite, pinnate with 4 leaflets, each 1 to 7 cm long and 1 to 3 cm broad. The flowers are a typical pea flower in shape, 2 to 4 cm across, yellow with reddish veining. After pollination, the fruit develops into a legume 3 to 7 cm long, containing 1 to 4 seeds, which forces its way underground to mature. The pods ripen 120 to 150 days after the seeds are planted. The pods will be unripe if the crop is harvested too early. If they are harvested late, the pods will snap off at the stalk, and will remain in the soil.