How do peanuts grow?

[AndiFlatland]

Here's an interesting question that cropped up in conversation last night.

We were talking about monkey nuts - the natural version of peanuts in shells, and it occurred to me that it's a bit strange how the nuts grow inside their shells, when there is no nutritional mechanism connecting them to the rest of the plant. It would seem to need some kind of umbilicus that goes from the nut, through the shell and into the stem - but they are always loose. Anybody know how this works?

[Clanad]

Actually, peanuts (as grown here in the U.S.) aren't nuts at all. They are legumes and as such are related to peas, beans and other such.

Peanuts start growing as a ground flower that due to its heavy weight bends towards the ground and eventually burrows underground where the peanut actually matures. The flowers are self-pollinating. Therefore, the plant iis attached by an"umbilical"... so to speak...

[Mr Veritas]

Just a link:~
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanut
to back up Clanad's excellent answer (but not to steal his thunder! LOL)