Ginkgo biloba is a type of tree native to China, commonly known as ginkgo or gingko (both pronounced / ˈɡiŋkoʊ / or / ˈɡɪŋkoʊ /), but also known as the maidenhair tree.
Ginkgo leaves have four or more veins per segment. And such plants are usually included in the Ginkgo taxonomic group.
Ginkgo is a living fossil. The fossils known to be associated with modern Ginkgo are from the early Permian period, with perhaps the earliest record being the earliest Permian Trichopitys in France, over 290 million years ago.
Ginkgo and other species of this genus were once widespread throughout the world, but their range eventually dwindled. Then, about two million years ago, their distribution was limited to a small region of China.
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