Ginkgoaceae
Encyclopedia
The Ginkgoaceae is a family of gymnosperm
s which appeared during the Mesozoic
Era, of which the only extant representative is Ginkgo biloba, which is for this reason sometimes regarded as a living fossil
. Formerly, however, there were several other genera.
Gymnosperm
The gymnosperms are a group of seed-bearing plants that includes conifers, cycads, Ginkgo, and Gnetales. The term "gymnosperm" comes from the Greek word gymnospermos , meaning "naked seeds", after the unenclosed condition of their seeds...
s which appeared during the Mesozoic
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic era is an interval of geological time from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It is often referred to as the age of reptiles because reptiles, namely dinosaurs, were the dominant terrestrial and marine vertebrates of the time...
Era, of which the only extant representative is Ginkgo biloba, which is for this reason sometimes regarded as a living fossil
Living fossil
Living fossil is an informal term for any living species which appears similar to a species otherwise only known from fossils and which has no close living relatives, or a group of organisms which have long fossil records...
. Formerly, however, there were several other genera.
Principal genera
- Baiera †
- GinkgoGinkgoGinkgo , also spelled gingko and known as the Maidenhair Tree, is a unique species of tree with no close living relatives...
- Ginkgoites †
- Ginkgoïdium †
- Phoenicpsis †
- Polyspermophyllum †
- Trichopitys †