What does apomictic mean?
Apomictic is an adjective describing reproduction by apomixis, a process found chiefly in certain flowering plants in which seeds develop without fertilization. Because no fusion of gametes occurs, the resulting embryos are genetically identical to the parent plant, making each seed effectively a clone. The term appears most often in botany, genetics, and agricultural science, where it describes species such as dandelions, hawkweeds, and some grasses that rely on this mode of reproduction. Its opposite is sexual reproduction, in which genetic material from two parents combines to produce varied offspring. Apomixis interests scientists because it offers a potential route to fixing desirable traits in crop plants: if an elite hybrid could be made to reproduce apomictically, its valuable combination of genes would be preserved generation after generation. Though specialized, the word captures one of nature's more striking reproductive strategies — life perpetuating itself without a partner.
adjectiveRelating to or characterized by apomixis: reproduction in plants without fertilization, in which seeds are produced asexually and offspring are genetic clones of the parent.
- (Botany) Of or relating to apomixis — asexual reproduction through seeds formed without fertilization, yielding offspring genetically identical to the parent plant.
"Many hawkweed species reproduce through apomictic seed formation, producing clones without pollination."
"The dandelion's apomictic reproduction allows it to spread rapidly, since each seed is an exact copy of its parent."
"Breeders studied the apomictic lineages of Kentucky bluegrass to understand how the species maintains its uniform characteristics."
Some plants never need a mate: apomictic species produce seeds that are perfect clones of themselves, skipping sex entirely.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of apomictic
The term derives from 'apomixis', which was formed from the Greek elements 'apo-' meaning 'away from' and 'mixis' meaning 'a mingling' — literally indicating reproduction without the mingling of gametes. It entered scientific English in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as botanists worked to classify the unusual seed-forming behavior observed in plants like dandelions and hawkweeds. It shares its Greek roots with other biological terms involving 'mixis', the general term for the union of cells or nuclei in reproduction.
Related word forms
How apomictic is actually used
A technical term used almost exclusively in botany, genetics, and agricultural science; rarely encountered outside academic literature.
Easily confused with apomictic
Despite the similar spelling, 'apocalyptic' refers to momentous or disastrous events of the kind described in revelations, while 'apomictic' is a botanical term describing asexual seed reproduction.