self-pollination

[self-pol-uh-ney-shuhn, self-]

noun

Botany.

1. the transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigma of the same flower, another flower on the same plant, or the flower of a plant of the same clone.

self-pollination

noun

1. the transfer of pollen from the anthers to the stigma of the same flower or of another flower on the same plant Compare cross-pollination

self-pollination

1. The transfer of pollen from a male reproductive structure (an anther or male cone) to a female reproductive structure (a stigma or female cone) of the same plant or of the same flower. Self-pollination tends to decrease the genetic diversity (increase the number of homozygous individuals) in a population, and is much less common than cross-fertilization. Many species of plants have evolved mechanisms to promote cross-pollination and avoid self-pollination, though certain plants, such as the pea, regularly self-pollinate.

2. Compare cross-pollination

Other Word Forms

• self-pollinated adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of self-pollination¹

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

The female flowers open first, then the males a day later, to prevent self-pollination.

From Los Angeles Times

Making the inbred lines requires repeated self-pollination over many generations.

From Science Magazine

Each vine produces one of two types of flowers, which is thought to prevent self-pollination.

From New York Times

This configuration renders wind pollination or self-pollination impossible and means that only a very determined or very tiny pollinator can gain entry.

From Scientific American

In England, self-pollination is the flower's main mode of reproduction; in Mediterranean populations, bees occasionally facilitate crosses between different plants.

From Nature