Bennettitales

A hermaphrodite reproductive system

The bennettitales form a now extinct group dating to the Mesozoic; they are distinguishable by their hermaphrodite reproductive system which combines male and female flower parts.

The naked ovules are inserted between the sterile scales of the “flower head” and are pollinized by microspores (pollen grains) produced by the stamens.

The bennettitales resemble small palm trees or cycas, which is why they were long considered to be close to cycadophytes. Today they are considered as “flowering plants” in the widest sense of the term.