A type of plant reproduction where flowers stay closed and pollinate themselves, allowing the plant to make seeds without needing help from insects or wind.
From Greek kleistos (closed) + -gamy (marriage, union of male and female). The term was introduced by botanists in the 1800s to classify this unusual but widespread reproductive strategy.
Cleistogamy might be nature's insurance policy—peanut plants use it to guarantee seed production even when bees are scarce, while their open flowers still exist just in case cross-pollination is possible. It's the botanical equivalent of bringing an umbrella even when there's a small chance of rain.
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