The objective of this paper is to evaluate the sensibility of twelve morphological descriptors, used for characterization of peanut access (Arachis hypogaea L.) of the active germplasm bank (BAG) at Instituto Agronômico de Campinas (IAC), State of São Paulo, Brazil, when used for Brazilians cultivars. The results showed that some descriptors need to be modified, in order to be applied as usually done in the "BAG", and changes in the size of plots and the number of valuators must be considered. Changes should be made on the sample size used to estimate leaflet proportions, pilosity, leaf, branch and peg color, pod constriction, reticulation and beak and the seed number. Concerning the same methodology used in that "BAG", the branch habit and seed dimensions were the most efficient descriptors, among those compared in the present paper.
peanut; Arachis hypogaea L.; active germplasm bank; morphologieal characterization; descriptor