Skip to main content
selfing

selfing

8.5
A plant or group that fertilizes itself to make offspring
  • adjective
  • /ˈsɛlfɪŋ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : autopolinizador
  • Many crops have selfing varieties that do not require pollinators to reproduce.

Examples

  • A selfing population can quickly become genetically uniform over several generations.

  • The researchers selected selfing plants to ensure genetic consistency in the experiment.

  • The selfing plants can thrive in isolated environments.

  • Many species exhibit selfing as a reproductive strategy.

  • Researchers often cultivate selfing strains to maintain specific genetic traits in their plants.

  • The selfing varieties of beans do not need external pollen for fertilization.

  • In gardening, choosing selfing plants can lead to faster growth and higher yields.

Synonyms

self-pollinated
vsselfing
  • Specialized
1 5.8

Able to make seeds using pollen from the same plant, not from another plant

refers to plants or populations that reproduce by using their own gametes
self-fertilized
vsselfing
  • Specialized
6.8

A living thing that makes new life using its own pollen or sperm without help from another

applies mainly to plants, lines, or populations rather than animals
autogamous
vsselfing
  • Specialized
9.9

A plant or flower that can make seeds without pollen from another plant

describes groups that reproduce by their own gametes rather than only being capable
self-pollinating
vsselfing
  • Specialized
5.6

A plant that can use its own pollen to make seeds without pollen from another plant

refers to plants or populations that reproduce by their own gametes

Antonyms

Mixing different kinds of animals or plants to make young with chosen traits

How Self-Fertilizing

selfing
  • Specialized
8.5
outcrossing
  • Specialized
8.2

Surface Forms

selfing positive

Morphology

selfing = self (semi-transparent) = self + ing

The adjective is transparently related to the verb self, but the botanical sense remains specialized rather than broadly guessable.

Etymology

Selfing (adjective) is built from self ('the same person or thing') and -ing (showing action or result). So a selfing plant or line is one that reproduces by fertilizing 'itself' or was produced that way.