self-pollination

[ self-pol-uh-ney-shuh n, self- ]
/ ˈsɛlfˌpɒl əˈneɪ ʃən, ˌsɛlf- /

noun Botany.

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.

Origin of self-pollination

First recorded in 1875–80

Example sentences from the Web for self-pollination

  • He may then, as he pushes down after nectar, leave some pollen upon the pistil, thus assisting in self-pollination.

    A Civic Biology |George William Hunter
  • Self-pollination in the case of the short-styled form, for example, is not excluded.

    Darwin and Modern Science |A.C. Seward and Others
  • First the anthers must be carefully removed from the bud of the flower so as to eliminate all possibility of self-pollination.

    A Civic Biology |George William Hunter

British Dictionary definitions for self-pollination

self-pollination

noun

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

Derived forms of self-pollination

self-pollinated, adjective

Scientific definitions for self-pollination

self-pollination
[ sĕlf′pŏl′ə-nāshən ]

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. Compare cross-pollination.