semelparous
adjective
(of a plant) producing flowers and fruit only once before dying
semelparity
-
a word derived from
semelparous.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Antechinuses engage in suicidal reproduction, a biological phenomenon called semelparity that has been observed in other marsupial species, like kalutas.
From New York Times ● Jan. 25, 2024
In addition to making semelparity less disadvantageous, releasing such a massive quantity of eggs helps to ensure that a species highly prone to predation can have enough offspring mature to adulthood to perpetuate the population.
From Scientific American ● Feb. 13, 2020
The best-known examples of semelparity come from insects and arachnids: Female black widow spiders are known for sometimes fatally biting males after mating, hence the name “widow.”
From Scientific American ● Feb. 13, 2020
In a study, published in April in the Journal of Zoology, researchers from the University of Western Australia and the University of Queensland confirmed that kalutas exhibit what is known as obligate male semelparity.
From New York Times ● Aug. 28, 2019
Suicidal reproduction or semelparity is well known in many species of plants and fish but is rare in mammals.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2013
