• (a.) Having the pistil come to maturity before the stamens; protogynous; -- opposed to proterandrous.
Pro`ter·og'y·nous adjective [ Greek ... earlier (fr. ... before) + ... woman, female.] (Botany) Having the pistil come to maturity before the stamens; protogynous; -- opposed to proterandrous . 
Pistils maturing before anthers.
proterogynous 1. In botany, having the pistil or female organ mature before the stamens or male organs. 2. In zoology, of a hermaphrodite animal, or a colony of zooids: Having the female organs, or individuals, sexually mature before the male.