ancient flowers

one more magnolia photo for you, because i wanted to share with you this comment on i got on instagram. i had no idea how ancient magnolias are. i loved them already, but now i love them even more:

“The magnolia family, Magnoliaceae, is one of the most primitive of all living angiosperms (seed-bearing plants) dating back beyond 95 million to about 130 million years ago (Evolution and Classification of Flowering Plants, Cronquist 1988). Magnolia fossils have been dated to between 36 and 58 million years, making this one of the oldest angiosperms still living. The magnolia has been dated to this age because it exhibits primitive characteristics, all of which involve its reproductive (flowering and fruiting) system. The fossil records provide evidence that the primitive blooms of magnolia have changed little since their ancient beginnings. One characteristic of primitive plants is the magnolia flower. The large, saucer-shaped fragrant blooms have petals that are fused with other flower parts to form thick, showy structures called tepals….”

pink magnolia blossoms