Ginkgo biloba is the strangest tree I know. It’s a conifer, sort of, but with deciduous leaves. Its leaves are neither pinnately- nor palmately-veined. It’s the only living member of its genus and family, and the genus (Ginkgo) dates back 270 million years, the species (biloba) 51 my. Fossilized Ginkgo leaves are found on every continent, including Antarctica. And male trees produce motile sperm! Ginkgo is both the Latin name and the common name of the tree, and because Ginkgo biloba is the only living species of Ginkgo, I’ll simply use its common name, “Ginkgo”. The common name, “Ginkgo” is occasionally spelled with the g before the k, but since the Latin name is “Ginkgo”, I put the k first. [There’s a discussion of Latin names at the end of this article].