 A number of flowering plants have inflorescences that resemble strobili, such as catkins, but are actually more complex in structure than strobili.It is likely that strobili evolved independently in most if not all these groups.This evolutionary convergence is not unusual, since the form of a strobilus is one of the most compact that can be achieved in arranging lateral organs around a cylindric axis, and the consolidation of reproductive parts in a strobilus may optimize spore dispersal and nutrient partitioning.