Ginkgoaceae

Trees, deciduous, dioecious (possibly rarely monoecious). Bark gray, furrowed, with flattened ridges. Long shoots and short (spur) shoots present. Roots fibrous to woody. Leaves simple, alternate to fascicled, stomates abaxial; apices deeply cleft to truncate; petioles equal to or exceeding blades; resin canals absent. Pollen cones borne on spurs, catkinlike; sporophylls distributed along axis; bracts absent; pollen spheric, not winged. Seed cones absent; ovules 2, pedunculate, subtended by collar believed to comprise 2 modified megasporophylls, borne on spurs. Seeds with fleshy outer coat, inner coat hard; cotyledons 2–3.

Distribution

Native to China, cultivated in the flora.

Discussion

Genus 1 (6+ known from fossils), species 1.

Selected References

Page, C. N. 1990. Coniferophytina: Ginkgoaceae. In: K. Kubitzki et al., eds. 1990+. The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants. 1+ vol. Berlin etc. Vol. 1, pp. 284--289.

Lower Taxa

Ginkgo

Illustrations

	Family ⠉	Taxon	Illustrator ⠉
	Zamiaceae Ginkgoaceae	Zamia integrifolia Ginkgo biloba	John Myers John Myers