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Fig. 12.—Flower of a species of Magnolia, illustrating a primitive type of dicotyledonous flower structure, in that the stamens (leaves bearing “small” spores) are spirally arranged. The carpels (above the stamens) are spore-bearing leaves carrying “large” spores. Here the spore-bearing leaves are surrounded by a floral envelope of petals and sepals, thus making a true flower, in contrast to the cone of the pines and the organs in lower plants.
Reproduced, by permission, from Gager’s Fundamentals of Botany, published by P. Blakiston’s Sons & Co.
