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How does dichogamy prevent self-fertilization in flowers?
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pollination
Common carder bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum) pollinating a honeysuckle (Lonicera species) flower.
Dichogamy prevents self-fertilization in plants by creating a temporal barrier between the maturation of male and female reproductive organs within the same flower or on the same individual plant. By ensuring that pollen is shed at a different time than when the stigmas are receptive, the plant effectively inhibits self-pollination.12
There are two primary forms of dichogamy:
- Protandry: The stamens (male organs) ripen and shed pollen before the pistils (female organs) become receptive. This is common in many insect-pollinated flowers, such as fireweed and salvias.123
- Protogyny: The pistils mature and become receptive before the stamens release their pollen. This occurs in various wind-pollinated plants, including many grasses, as well as in arum lilies.124
By staggering these reproductive phases, plants encourage cross-pollination, which promotes genetic variability and often results in higher-quality seeds compared to self-fertilization.2