2 Answers

WIKIANSWERS: 

A peanut is a seed, not a fruit.  And NOT a NUT!

Actually a peanut is a legume which is the following:
A legume is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or a fruit of these plants. A legume fruit is a simple dry fruit which develops from a simple carpel and usually dehisces (opens along a seam) on two sides. A common name for this type of fruit is a "pod", although pod is also applied to a few other fruit types. Well-known legumes include alfalfa, clover, peas, beans, lentils, lupins and peanuts. A peanut is not a nut in the botanical sense; a peanut is an indehiscent legume, that is, one whose pod does not split open on its own. 

This perhaps merits a new thread but can anyone explain why peanut shells seem to be rot-resistant? When put into the compost bin they do not decay. This is doubly perplexing as the peanut (AKA groundnut) forms underground so how does it ever germinate?

Colleen

They do decompose. I think they need moisture to help them along though. The shell is fiber and has to be tough to protect the legume (peanut) while it is underground. Once cracked, the inner lining of the shell is exposed to elements and it begins to decay first then the fiber breaks down and is used as food for other plant life if the shell is not simply disposed into the trash. Peanut shells make excellent compost for gardens.

When the peanut is left in the ground, once matured and with the right combination of water plus moisture that penetrates the seed and warm soil, the seed (or peanut) splits and new plant growth forms from it. The inner lining of the shell becomes food for the new growth, I imagine this weakens the shell so the growth can push itself through the shell to reach the soil. The rest of the seed is used as food for the new plant also.

Colleen

_________________________________________________

nomdeplume
Karma: 136730

Still on this nutty subject, if a peanut is not a nut, why are so many people, kids especially, allergic to them? If it is a nut allergy are sufferers allergic to other types of nuts, and why are they not allergic to other leguminous seeds, such as peas, beans lentils, soybeans?

Colleen

I blame the GMOs. Who ever heard of peanut allergies being so wide spread before GMOs? You might want to start your own question about this. You can only post one time to a question so I had to move your second post about peanuts to here.