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PART I— GINKGO 



a "living fossil" from prehistoric times 

 an insect- and fungus-free ornamental tree 



Starting on the eastern side of the Central Drive as it enters 

 the Garden from Southern Boulevard and on the inside of the foot 

 path along that side of the drive, we come to the first trees that 

 we shall consider in following this Guide. (Map p. 7). 



Three trees stand in a row just inside the low railing along the 

 path. Behind them, scattered over the higher ground, are five 

 more, similar trees. In winter their light-colored hark and few 

 but widely projecting limbs are their outstanding characteristics. 

 The numerous short spurs on these limbs bear wedge-shaped 

 leaves in summer that distinguish the trees from others about. 

 The trees themselves do not look at all like conifers. In fact, 

 they are not true conifers, though in books one sometimes finds 

 them described under Coni ferae. They bear no cones, neither are 

 they evergreen. They are trees that stand by themselves in the 

 entire plant world and are known as 



Ginkgo biloba, the Maidenhair Tree 



The drive on the west side of the Museum is partially lined on 

 both sides by these trees. Some of them are considerably larger 

 than the ones before us now. 



The Ginkgo is one of the most interesting of trees, for it is the 

 sole survivor of a once great family that thrived in prehistoric 

 times. As one writer has very appropriately pointed out, there is 

 probably no other existing tree to which Darwin's term of "living 

 fossil" may be so truly applied as the Maidenhair Tree. It is 

 regarded as the oldest living type of tree, that is, in terms of plant 

 evolution. It is closely related to no other living plants and is the 

 only survivor from a type of vegetation that flourished during 

 what is known as the Mesozoic Era. Its range extended then from 

 what to-day is Australia, Cape Colony, and South America to 

 northern Europe and Greenland. To-day it is nowhere known in 

 the wild state. 



