Question

What is the disadvantage of cleistogamy?

Answer 1

Cleistogamy:

1. Cleistogamy is primarily a form of automatic self-pollination of certain plants that can propagate using unopened, self-pollinated flowers.

Some of the disadvantages of cleistogamy are as follows:

1. Sexual reproduction is non-existent due to the absence of cross-pollination and does not produce any genetically distinct seeds.
2. No distinct seeds mean no increase in the genetic diversity of the plant population.
3. This results in harmful alleles and an increase in breeding depression.