The oldest tree in the world is China's gingko, which first appeared during the Jurassic Age some 160 million years ago.
The Ginkgo is the sole survivor of a primitive order of plants dating from more than 200 million years ago. Now, the trees shoot forth sprouts in spring, and their leaves turn glowing yellow in autumn, decorating many parks or roadsides nationwide.
Surviving about over a million years, the Ginkgo has remained basically unchanged which has been verified by 200-million-year-old fossils. Because of the trees survivability and hardiness, it was believed to increase stamina and longevity and has been called The Fountain of Youth. The wood is hard and corrosion-resistant, a good choice for furnishings.
The earliest known medicinal use dates back to 2800 BC. Gingko today seems to becoming the herb of choice. European researchers have been constantly studying ginkgo since the 1960's. In 1995, gingko was ranked 5th in popularity at U.S. health food stores.
Related English Chinese translation:
银杏为落叶乔木，5月开花，10月成熟，果实为橙黄色的种实核果。银杏是一种孑遗植物。和它同门的所有其他植物都已灭绝。银杏是现存种子植物中最古老的孑遗植物。变种及品种有：黄叶银杏、塔状银杏、裂银杏、垂枝银杏、斑叶银杏。
银杏生长较慢，寿命极长，从栽种到结果要二十多年，四十年后才能大量结果，因此又名“公孙树”，有“公种而孙得食”的含义。寿命可达千余岁，存世3500余年大树仍枝叶繁茂果实累累。是树中的老寿星。在山东日照浮来山的定林寺内有一棵大银杏树，相传是商代种植的，已有3500多年历史了。
落叶大乔木，胸径可达4米，幼树树皮近平滑，浅灰色，大树之皮灰褐色，不规则纵裂，有长枝与生长缓慢的距状短枝。叶互生，在长枝上辐射状散生，在短枝上3一5枚成簇生状，有细长的叶柄，扇形，两面淡绿色，在宽阔的顶缘多少具缺刻或2裂，宽5－8厘米，具多数叉状并歹帕细脉。雌雄异株，稀同株，球花单生于短枝的叶腋；雄球花成葇荑花序状，雄蕊多数，各有2花药；雌球花有长梗，梗端常分两叉（稀3一5叉），叉端生1具有盘状珠托的胚珠，常1个胚珠发育成发育种子。
种子核果状，具长梗，下垂，椭圆形、长圆状倒卵形、卵圆形或近球形，长2.5一3.5厘米，直径1.5一2厘米；假种皮肉质，被白粉，成熟时淡黄色或橙黄色；种皮骨质，白色，常具2（稀3）纵棱；内种皮膜质。
礤石峪隐仙观下山谷中，有两株银杏树，已达千年树龄，一雌一雄，下而盘根错节，上面枝叶相连，不能分开，经常有年轻人在树下许愿，以得到坚贞不愈的爱情。
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