Androdioecism

/ˌændrəˌdaɪˈiːsɪzəm/ noun

Definition

A reproductive system in plants where some individuals have both male and female flowers while others produce only male flowers.

Etymology

From Greek 'andros' (male), 'dioikos' (two households), with -ism suffix. The noun describes this specific breeding system's characteristic pattern.

Kelly Says

Researchers studying plant androdioecism discovered that males-only plants still benefit by having some relatives do the female work, similar to how some social insects split reproductive duties.

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