Why have Magnoliales traditionally been considered an early branch of flowering plants?

Botanists have traditionally regarded Magnoliales as an early, primitive branch of angiosperms due to several unspecialized structural features.12

Historically, this hypothesis was supported by the following characteristics:
* Floral Structure: Flowers often feature numerous, free parts arranged spirally on an elongated floral axis.2
* Reproductive Organs: Many species possess broad, leaflike stamens and carpels that appear only slightly modified from vegetative structures, rather than the distinct filaments, anthers, and styles found in more modern groups.23
* Pollen: The pollen grains typically exhibit a single germination groove (monosulcate), a trait associated with early flowering plants.23
* Seeds: The seeds contain a small embryo surrounded by abundant, food-rich endosperm.12

While modern molecular evidence has identified other groups as more basal within the angiosperm tree, Magnoliales remain recognized as a basal order among flowering plants.2