A botanical phenomenon where a plant's male and female reproductive parts mature at different times, preventing self-pollination.
From Greek dicho- (in two) + -gamy (marriage, reproduction, from gamos). This condition was first formally described in botanical literature in the 19th century.
Dichogamy appears in about 5-10% of flowering plants and is one of nature's clearest proofs that evolution selects against inbreeding—plants literally evolved the inability to impregnate themselves, showing how powerful natural selection can be.
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