Why are cycadeoid cones sometimes described as flowerlike?

Cycadeoid cones are often described as flowerlike due to their complex, bisexual structure, which superficially resembles the organization of angiosperm flowers.21

Specifically, these reproductive structures—or strobili—contained both pollen and ovules within a single unit. In many cycadeoids, this arrangement included a central structure for ovules surrounded by a whorl of modified leaves that bore pollen, all of which was often encased in a protective whorl of bracts that mimicked the appearance of petals.21

Despite these similarities, it is inaccurate to classify them as true flowers. Unlike the reproductive organs of flowering plants, cycadeoid "flowers" were composed of sporophylls bearing "naked" (gymnospermous) ovules. While their unique morphology once led many paleobotanists to suggest an evolutionary link to angiosperms, they are not currently considered the ancestors of modern flowering plants.12