1. The condition in which the male and female reproductive organs of a flower mature at different times, preventing self-fertilization.
Usage: botany; technical

Examples

• Dichogamy is an important reproductive strategy that promotes cross-pollination in many plant species.
• In protandrous dichogamy, the flower's stamens release pollen before the pistil becomes receptive.
• Protogynous dichogamy occurs when the pistil matures before the stamens produce pollen.
• Many flowering plants exhibit dichogamy to avoid the genetic problems associated with self-fertilization.
• Botanists study dichogamy to understand how plants ensure genetic diversity in their offspring.