Gynodioecious

Gynodioecy is a rare reproductive classification in cannabis where a population contains both female plants and hermaphroditic plants that produce functional female flowers alongside pollen. This trait differs from standard dioecious populations (purely male and female) and monoecious specimens (single plants bearing both sexes). Breeders occasionally encounter gynodioecy in wild-sourced or heritage genetics, though it remains uncommon in commercial breeding programs. The mechanism is typically controlled by nuclear genes rather than environmental factors, making it a heritable trait. Documentation of gynodioecy in cannabis genetics is limited compared to other sex-expression types, and most breeding work focuses on stabilizing either pure female or controlled hermaphrodite lines for reproducibility.

Breeders working with gynodioecy must carefully select for breeding goals, as the trait can complicate seed production protocols and crop management if not intentionally stabilized. Some breeders exploit controlled gynodioecy or androdioecy to create feminized seed lines, though this approach requires precise environmental and genetic control.