a. Bot. [f. Gr. κλειστός closed (f. κλείειν to close) + γάμ-ος marriage + -IC; cf. phanerogamic.] Applied to certain small inconspicuous permanently closed flowers, adapted for self-fertilization, occurring in various plants (e.g., Oxalis Acetosella, different species of Viola, etc.) on the same individuals as the normal larger brightly colored flowers, which in such are either cross-fertilized or barren. So Cleistogamically adv., Cleistogamous a., Cleistogamously adv.; Cleistogamy, the occurrence of cleistogamous flowers.
1877. Darwin, Forms of Fl., Introd. 3. They have been called by Dr. Kuhn [in 1867] cleistogamic.
1879. Lubbock, Sci. Lect., i. 26. Such ‘cleistogamic’ flowers … are already known to exist in about fifty genera.
1874. Lubbock, Wild Flowers, ii. 39. In the cleistogamous flowers of Oxalis acetosella.
1875. Bennett & Dyer, trans. Sachs’ Bot., III. vi. 810. The cleistogamous self-fertilised flowers.
1881. Moore, in Jrnl. Bot., X. 84. Undoubted cases of cleistogamy.
1885. Coutts Trotter, in Academy, 6 June, 395/3. The flowers … were fertilised and fruited cleistogamically.
1885. H. O. Forbes, Nat. Wand. E. Archip., ii. 85. Cleistogamously fertilised.
