What Is Monoecious?
Monoecious is a term which is used to describe an organism which has both male and female sex organs present, as separate structures. The term is most commonly used in reference to plants, although some animal species are monoecious as well, in which case it is more commonly referred to as hermaphroditism. There are a number of advantages to being monoecious, making it a fairly common sexual configuration, although it might seem a bit unusual to humans. In a plant which has monoecious characteristics, the plant produces both male and female flowers. Alders and corn are two examples of plants which are considered monoecious. The male flowers on the plant are capable of fertilizing the female flowers, and they can also cross pollinate with other plants in the vicinity. The male and female flowers usually look different, as one is designed to create pollen for distribution, while the other develops ova which can be fertilized, resulting in the development of seeds. Self fertilization is a
