A type of asexual reproduction in plants where seeds or spores develop and grow without fertilization by pollen or sperm.
From Ancient Greek apo- (away from, without) + gamy (marriage, union, from gamos). Coined by botanists in the 19th century to describe reproduction without sexual union.
Apogamy is a hidden superpower of many ferns and flowering plants—they can reproduce without any male contribution, and some scientists think it might have evolved as a backup plan when mates were impossible to find.
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