Xenogamy

Xenogamy

Xenogamy is a way plants make new plants. It means pollen grains from one plant move to the stigma of a different plant. This helps plants make stronger and healthier new plants because the plants are different from each other.

The word xenogamy was first used by Kerner in 1876. It is one type of cross-pollination, when pollen moves from one plant's flower to another's stigma.

Several special features help make cross-pollination possible. For example, herkogamy creates barriers to stop a plant from pollinating itself. Dichogamy means the pollen and stigma grow at different times. Self-incompatibility stops a plant's own pollen from making seeds on its own stigma. Other features like male sterility, dioecism where male and female flowers grow on separate plants, and heterostyly where flower parts have different lengths, all help make sure cross-pollination happens. These processes help plants grow better and make more different and healthy flowers and fruits.