What Does Autogamy Mean?
Autogamy is the process of self-fertilization in plants. The pollen of the plant is transferred to its own stigma or ovule and fertilization occurs. Many plants have evolved and adapted to the autogamy fertilization method. They often do not fully open so that self-fertilization can take place. In others, the stamens bend and twist inward to readily pollinate the plant’s own stigma.
One of the drawbacks of autogamy is that the plant's progeny often weakens over successive generations.
Maximum Yield Explains Autogamy
Most plants with autogamy capabilities depend on insects or the wind to achieve self-pollination. Some plants will readily pollinate using traditional pollination but also use self-pollination if all else fails. Legumes, especially peanuts, remain receptive to traditional pollination during the day but if pollination does not take place during the day than the blooms start to close and pollinate themselves. Many plants use autogamy such as peas, orchids, and sunflowers.
Autogamy takes far less energy which enables a plant to survive in harsher regions then it typically would. They can also grow in areas where pollinator insects are not plentiful. Such plants usually feature small flowers.
