lone survivor
The extant ginkgo tree grows in
a relatively upright habit when
young, but branches out in the
upper regions with age. Some
specimens reach 30m!100ft in
height and 30m!100ft across
the broadest part of the crown.
The leaves are bright green but
not always obviously bilobed,
since the central division
halfway along the 'fan' may be
almost non-existent. or it may
be accompanied by other
subdivisions in each of the
halves. Fossil specimens show
similar variation. The name
'qinkqo' is apparently derived
from the Chinese term yin kuo.
which refers to the silvery
fruits. The hard fruit kernels can
be roasted as a hangover cure