noun
- A form of asexual reproduction in plants, especially ferns and flowering plants, in which an embryo develops without fertilization.
Usage: biology; botany
Examples
- Apogamy allows some fern species to reproduce without the need for sperm and egg fusion.
- In apogamy, the embryo develops directly from the gametophyte without meiosis or fertilization.
- Certain flowering plants exhibit apogamy as an alternative reproductive strategy.
- Scientists study apogamy to understand how plants can maintain genetic stability without sexual reproduction.
- Apogamy is common in some dandelion and blackberry species.