A form of asexual reproduction through which seeds are produced without fertilization, the seeds being entirely of maternal origin.

🌱 Key Points
🧬 Apomixis is a form of asexual reproduction that occurs via seeds, in which embryos develop without fertilization.
🧬 Apomixis is derived from two Greek words: "Apo" meaning away from, and "Mixis" meaning the act of mixing or mingling.
🧬 In some plant species, an embryo develops from the diploid cells of the seed and not as a result of fertilization between ovule and pollen. This type of reproduction is known as apomixis, and the seedlings produced are called apomicts.
🧬 In apomictic species, sexual reproduction is either suppressed or absent.
🧬 When sexual reproduction also occurs, apomixis is termed facultative apomixis. When sexual reproduction is absent, it is referred to as obligate apomixis.
🧬 Apomixis produces embryos or seed progeny that are exact genetic replicas of the mother plant.
🧬 The main advantage of apomixis over sexual reproduction is the possibility to select individual plants with superior characteristics and propagate them clonally through seeds.
🧬 Apomixis is classified into Recurrent Apomixis, Non-recurrent Apomixis, Adventive Embryony, and Vegetative Apomixis.