self fertilization
/ˌsɛlfˌfɜrtələˈzeɪʃən/
noun
- The process by which a plant or other organism fertilizes itself using its own pollen or sperm, without needing another individual.
- Gardeners sometimes encourage self-fertilization to preserve a particular flower variety.
- Self-fertilization is common in some species of snails and earthworms.
- The textbook explained how self-fertilization reduces genetic variation.
Synonyms