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

/ sĕlf′pŏl′ə-nā′shən /

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

Derived Forms

• ˌself-ˈpolliˌnated, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of self-pollination¹

First recorded in 1875–80