CLASS I GYMNOSPERMAE 



GINKGOACEAE 



Dioecious trees with deciduous fan-shaped leaves, without stipules; 

 strobile wanting; staminate flowers in pairs on pedicels borne on a 

 slender axis, catkin-like; pistillate flowers naked in pairs on long stalks. 

 Fruit drupaceous. 



A family containing 1 extant species confined to China. 



GINKGO 



Trees. Leaves deciduous, alternate, scattered on vigorous or long 

 shoots, crowded at the apex of spurs or short lateral shoots. Leaves 

 stalked, parallel veined, fan-shaped or broadly wedge shaped, entire or 

 wavy margined or more or less cleft into 2 or more lobes, the margins 

 somewhat thickened. Flowers small and inconspicuous, developing with 

 the unfolding of the leaves from short lateral spurs. They are usually 

 dioecious; the male flowers in short pendulous catkins, each bearing 

 numerous stamens; the pistillate, as naked ovules in pairs on long stalks, 

 although only 1 ovule develops into fruit in most cases, after fertiliza- 

 tion becoming enveloped in a fleshy covering. Fruit a drupe, solitary or 

 more rarely in pairs, plum-like, about 3 cm. long, glabrous, orange with 

 a glaucous bloom. When fully ripe, the skin is thin, the flesh soft, oily, 

 acrid, containing a large, thin-shelled, white or cream colored seed 

 which is edible. The pulp' of the ripe fruit has an unpleasant, acrid 

 flavor or odor. 



The genus Ginkgo is the only representative of the family and is 

 regarded as the oldest genus of trees surviving from prehistoric times, 

 extinct species having been found in the Jurassic and succeeding epochs. 

 It is represented by only one living species. 



Propagated by seeds. Between 26-5 and 272 seeds weigh one pound. 

 The seeds germinate in about 50 days after sowing. 



Ginkgo biloba Linnaeus. 



(Salisburia adiantifolia. Smith) 

 Maiden Hair Tree. 



The generic characters above given are sufficient description of the species. 



