2'16 
Differing essentially from both of these, Arachis hypogaea has 
but one form of flower which is sessile and remains so. It isa 
growth from the base of the ovary itself which is prolonged until 
the ovary is pushed into the ground. This growth is technically 
known as a gynophore. Ovaries which are hindered by any 
circumstance from reaching the ground do not produce fruit. 
Seven species of Arachis are now recognized. These are: À. 
pusilla, A. prostrata, A. villosa, A. glabrata, A. marginata, A. tuber- 
osa and Arachis hypogaea, all perennial with the exceptions of A. 
hypogaea and A. pusilla. Of these species six are found only in 
Brazil. The remaining one, Arachis hypogaea is cultivated at the 
present time throughout the warmer regions of the globe. 
Little is known with certainty concerning the earlier history of 
Arachis. The fact that all but one of its species are confined to 
Brazil would seem an indication that it is a native of that country, 
and in fact De Candolle ascribes its origin to that place. Other 
authors think it to be a native of Africa, as its importance there 
as food is so great and its cultivation so general. Still others hold 
the opinion that it has a Japanese or Chinese origin. Opposing 
this opinion are the facts that no allusion is made to this plant in 
the older literature of those countries and that the fruit is not pro- 
duced there in any great quantities. 
Sloan, writing in the latter part of the sixteenth century, speaks 
of it as having been carried to the West Indies from Guinea in slave 
ships as food for the slaves, and says it was taken to Guinea from 
Peru. Oviedo, writing in 1547, describes Arachis under the name 
Mani and states that it is very common in the gardens of the West 
Indies. From the name Mani is derived the name which the 
plant now bears in Cuba, Mandubi or Mandobi. Jean de Lery, 
in 1578, writing a history of travel in Brazil, speaks of Arachis as 
Manobi. The author of the Noticia do Brasil (1589) speaks of 
the plant under the name Amandao (large Mandel). Rumph de- 
scribed the plant, giving it the name Chamaebalanus Japonicus. 
Parkinson, writing about 1648, described the American Arachis 
and called it Arachis hypogais Americanus. 
It is estimated that the yearly production of peanuts in this 
country is about 4,000,000 bushels and that this constitutes about 
. one-sixth of the production of the entire world. This amount is con- 
