Ginkgoaceae
(Maidenhair Tree Family)
Habit
- much-branched,
dioecious trees
Branches
- 2 types:
long shoots,
short shoots
Leaves
- fan-shaped; with
dicotomous venation
Ovules
- paired on long
stalk; often fall and fertilization/development happens on ground
Sperm
- motile with
spiral band of
flagella; sex determined by X and Y
chromosomes
Seeds
- surrounded by malodorous fleshy tissue (rancid butter)
Embryo
- with 2
cotyledons
Diversity
- 1 species, Ginkgo biloba, extant (survives in cultivation); at least 6 genera extinct
Distribution
- temperate regions in cultivation
Economics
- female
gametophyte a delicacy in China; females not planted by others
Notes
- identical fossils 200 million yrs old
Images
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