Ginkgo

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The Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), sometimes also known as the Maidenhair Tree, is a unique tree with no close living relatives. It is classified in its own division, the Ginkgophyta, comprising the single class Ginkgoopsida, order Ginkgoales, family Ginkgoaceae, genus Ginkgo and just the one species. It is one of the best examples of a living fossil known. In the past it has also been placed in the divisions Spermatophyta or Pinophyta. Ginkgo is a gymnosperm (as opposed to an angiosperm), meaning "naked seed"; its seeds are not protected by a fruit.

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For centuries it was thought to be extinct in the wild, but is now known to grow wild in at least two small areas in Zhejiang province in eastern China, in the Tian Mu Shan Reserve. However, as this area has known human activity for over a thousand years, the wild status of ginkgos there is as of yet uncertain.

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Tree: :This article is about the biological organisms known as trees. For other meanings of the word see tree (disambiguation)....

Living fossil: Living fossil is a term for any living species (or clade) of organism which closely resembles species otherwise only known from fossils and has no close living relatives. These species have all survived major extinction events, and generally retain low taxonomic diversities. A reason for this is tha...

Spermatophyta: REDIRECT Spermatophyte...

Ginkgo related Images and Photos (experimental)

Ginkgo Specimen

Golden Ginkgo I

Delicate Ginkgo