Ginkgo Tree

Ginkgo biloba

Ginkgo biloba, commonly known as ginkgo, also known as the maidenhair tree, and often misspelled "gingko" is a species of gymnosperm tree native to East Asia. It is the last living species in the order Ginkgoales, which first appeared over 290 million years ago. Fossils similar to the living species, belonging to the genus Ginkgo, extend back to the Middle Jurassic epoch about 170 million years ago. The tree was cultivated early in human history, remains commonly planted, and is widely regarded as a living fossil.

Ginkgo

Ginkgo is a genus of non-flowering seed plants, assigned to the gymnosperms. The scientific name is also used as the English common name. The order to which the genus belongs, Ginkgoales, first appeared in the Permian, 270 million years ago, and Ginkgo is now the only living genus within the order. The rate of evolution within the genus has been slow, and almost all its species had become extinct by the end of the Pliocene. The sole surviving species, Ginkgo biloba, is found in the wild only in China, but is cultivated around the world. The relationships between ginkgos and other groups of plants are not fully resolved.

Tree

In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only plants that are usable for timber, or only plants above a specified height. Wider definitions include taller palms, tree ferns, bananas, and bamboos.

ginkgo

Noun

1. Any trees native to China with small, fan-shaped leaves and edible seeds.
2. The seed of a ginkgo tree.

tree

Noun

1. A perennial woody plant taller and larger than a shrub with a wooden trunk and, at some distance from the ground, having leaves and branches.
2. Any other plant (such as a large shrub or herb) that is reminiscent of the above in form and size.

Verb

1. To chase (an animal or person) up a tree.
2. To place in a tree.