How do male and female cycad plants differ?

Cycads are universally dioecious, meaning that male and female reproductive structures are produced on separate individual plants. Their primary differences lie in the specialized leaf structures, known as sporophylls, that bear their respective reproductive organs.1

• Male Plants: These produce microsporophylls, which are arranged spirally around a cone axis to form a male cone. These structures bear numerous microsporangia on their abaxial surface, which produce pollen grains.12
• Female Plants: These produce megasporophylls, which bear ovules. In most cycad genera, these are arranged in a cone. However, in the genus Cycas, the megasporophylls do not form a true cone; instead, they are arranged in whorls at the stem apex, interspersed with leaves and cataphylls.1

During the reproductive cycle, pollen is transported to the female plant, where it enters an ovule to facilitate fertilization. The resulting seed develops on the female megasporophyll.23