Aims Gentianopsis barbata displays showy flowers and conspicuous nectaries and has stigma and anthers at different positions (herkogamy) until the fifth day after flower opening. All of these floral syndromes were assumed to favor outcrossing. Methods We studied pollination biology of this species at Haibei Station on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau for three years to test this assumption. Important findings Contrary to expectation, reproduction in the studied population was mainly through self-pollination. Pollinator visitation was rare, and bagged flowers with anthers set abundant seeds. Both stigma receptivity and pollen viability extended beyond five days. Although stigma receptivity based on seed number decreased after the fourth flowering day, contact of anthers and stigma during floral development resulted in delayed selfing in this species. This delayed selfing retained the floral syndromes and mechanisms for outcrossing, avoided competition between selfing and outcrossing and insured reproduction of G. barbata despite lack of pollinators in arid habitats of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.