Hermaphrodite

In cannabis, a hermaphrodite is a plant that expresses both pistillate (female) and staminate (male) flowers on the same individual, producing viable pollen and therefore capable of self-pollination and seed set. Cannabis sativa is predominantly dioecious, with sex determined by an XY chromosome system (Moliterni et al. 2004; Small 2015), but sex expression is notoriously labile. Two forms are distinguished: true hermaphrodites — monoecious plants producing complete staminate flowers with five free stamens, often genetically predisposed — and "nanners," solitary banana-shaped staminate organs emerging from within otherwise pistillate inflorescences, typically stress-induced by photoperiod interruption (light leaks), heat (>30 °C), drought, nutrient imbalance, mechanical damage, or late-harvest senescence (Small 2015; Punja 2021). Feminized-seed progeny carry elevated hermaphroditism risk due to inbreeding depression and segregation of minor sex-modifier loci (Kurtz et al. 2020). Even minimal pollen release dramatically reduces cannabinoid and terpene content in sinsemilla crops. Etymology: Greek Hermaphroditos, son of Hermes and Aphrodite, fused with the nymph Salmacis. Synonyms: monoecious plant, bisexual plant, intersex. → See also: Hermie, Male plant, Female plant, Sinsemilla, Pollination.