Describing a plant that reproduces by self-pollinating flowers that never fully open, ensuring the plant can make seeds without needing insects or wind.
From Greek kleistos (closed) + gamos (marriage/union). Coined in the 19th century to describe plants where flowers remain closed during pollination, evolved from botanical observation of unusual reproduction strategies.
Some plants are basically introverts—they literally keep their flowers closed to guarantee self-pollination! Cleistogamous plants like violets and peanuts hedge their bets by producing both showy flowers and hidden self-pollinating flowers, a clever evolutionary solution to unpredictable pollinator availability.
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