Magnolia Seed Pods

I have been keeping an eye on a Magnolia tree as I wanted to see what the seeds were like. I walked past today and there were lots of these seed pods on the ground.  Unfortunately I had left my phone at home, so I picked up four of them and took a photo in our kitchen.

Such beautiful flowers seem to be followed by an unspectacular seed pod. On investigation, it is an unusual plant in many ways and apparently is classed as an ancient one.

I was struck by the uniformity of the four pods, with the different distinct parts along their length.