adjective
- (of a fungus or alga) capable of sexual reproduction within a single individual or colony; self-fertile.
Usage: biology; mycology; technical
Examples
- Homothallic fungi can produce spores without requiring a mating partner.
- Some species of yeast are homothallic and can reproduce sexually on their own.
- The homothallic nature of this mold allows it to complete its life cycle in isolation.
- Researchers studied homothallic strains to understand self-fertilization in fungi.
- Unlike heterothallic organisms, homothallic species do not need two compatible mating types.