<Li> Lathyrus esquirolii H. Lév . </Li> <P> A peanut (Arachis hypogaea), also known as a groundnut or goober, is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds . It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics, being important to both small and large commercial producers . It is classified as both a grain legume and, because of its high oil content, an oil crop . World annual production of shelled peanuts was 42 million tonnes in 2014 . Atypically among crop plants, peanut pods develop underground rather than above ground . It is this characteristic that the botanist Linnaeus used to assign the specific name hypogaea, which means "under the earth ." </P> <P> As a legume, the peanut belongs to the botanical family Fabaceae; this is also known as Leguminosae, and commonly known as the bean, or pea, family . Like most other legumes, peanuts harbor symbiotic nitrogen - fixing bacteria in root nodules . This capacity to fix nitrogen means peanuts require less nitrogen - containing fertilizer and improve soil fertility, making them valuable in crop rotations . </P> <P> Peanuts are similar in taste and nutritional profile to tree nuts such as walnuts and almonds, and are often served in similar ways in Western cuisines . The botanical definition of a "nut" is a fruit whose ovary wall becomes very hard at maturity . Using this criterion, the peanut is not a true nut, but rather a legume . However, for culinary purposes and in common English language usage, peanuts are usually referred to as nuts . </P>

Is a peanut a bean or a nut