Arachis
a genus of leguminous plants belonging to the sub-order cæsalpiniaceæ. The A. hypogæa, the underground arachis (Greek hupogeios=subterranean), is thus called because the legumes are produced and matured beneath the soil. The plant is now cultivated in the warmer parts both of Asia and America. The legumes are eatable.
The seeds have a sweet taste and furnish a valuable oil used for lamps and as a substitute for olive oil. In South Carolina they are employed for chocolate.