Plant Reproductive Terminology

Bisexual

Each flower of each individual has both male and female structures, i.e. it combines both sexes in one structure, having both stamens and carpels. Other terms used for this condition are androgynous, hermaphroditic, monoclinous, synoecious, and perfect

Dichogamous

having sexes developing at different times; producing pollen when the stigmas are not receptive, either protandrous or protogynous. This promotes out crossing by limiting self-pollination. Some dichogamous plants have bisexual flowers, others have uni-sexual flowers.

Monoecious

In the commoner narrow sense of the term, it refers to plants with uni-sexual flowers which occur on the same individual. In the broad sense of the term, it also includes plants with bisexual flowers. Individuals bearing separate flowers of both sexes at the same time are called simultaneously or synchronously monoecious.[citation needed] Individuals that bear flowers of one sex at one time are called consecutively monoecious.

Gynomonoecious

Having both bisexual and female flowers on the same plant.

Andromonoecious

Having both bisexual and male flowers on the same plant.

Unisexual

Having either functionally male or functionally female flowers. This condition is also called diclinous, incomplete or imperfect.

Dioecious

Having either only male or only female flowers. No individual plant of the population produces both pollen and ovules.

Protogynous

Having female parts of flowers developed before male parts, e.g. having flowers that function first as female and then change to male or producing pollen after the stigmas of the same plant are receptive.

Gynodioecious

Having hermaphrodite flowers and female flowers on separate plants.

Androdioecious

Having male flowers on some plants, bisexual ones on others

Protandrous

Having male parts of flowers developed before female parts, e.g. having flowers that function first as male and then change to female or producing pollen before the stigmas of the same plant are receptive

Androgynomonoecious

Having male, female, and bisexual flowers on the same plant, also called trimonoecious

Polygamous

Having male, female, and bisexual flowers on the same plant. Also called polygamomonoecious, trimonoecious, and trioecious

Subgynoecious

Having mostly female flowers, with a few male or bisexual flowers.

Subandroecious

Having mostly male flowers, with a few female or bisexual flowers.

Gynoecious

Having only female flowers (the female of a dioecious population); producing seed but not pollen.

Androecious

Having only male flowers (the male of a dioecious population); producing pollen but no seed.

Subdioecious

Having some individuals in otherwise dioecious populations with flowers that are not clearly male or female. The population produces normally male or female plants with unisexual flowers, but some plants may have bisexual flowers, some both male and female flowers, and others some combination thereof, such as female and bisexual flowers. The condition is thought to represent a transition between bisexuality and dioecy.

Imperfect

Having some parts that are normally present not developed, e.g. lacking stamens.

Polygamodioecious

Mostly dioecious, but with either a few flowers of the opposite sex or a few bisexual flowers on the same plant.