Significance of Ginkgo Biloba Essay -- Botany

Signifi tin cance of Ginkgo BilobaThe maidenhair steer tree appeared on earth virtually 230 million years ago, which was before dinosaurs evolved. They were referred to as living fossils by Charles Darwin. These trees are so hardy that one of them lived through the atomic blast that destroyed Hiroshima (Anonymous zero(prenominal) 2, 1997). This tree is one of the earths two oldest trees, The members of the Ginkgoacae family grew in parts of what are at one time Australia, the British Isles, Greenland, china, Russia, northern Europe, Japan, South America, Africa, and in the United States during the Mesozoic Era. It afterwards retreated to a small area in eastern China with the changes in the world climate. It is the only surviving tree of the gingko family (Corrigan, 1997). The ginkgo was reintroduced to the United States in 1784. Today, these trees are all over the world again. They can be found in almost every city in the United States. Its species name biloba refers to the two-distinct lobes, which is characteristic of the leaves. These trees save survived over millions of years repayable to their resistance of disease, pests, fires, and air pollution. They can grow in almost both condition, which includes sun, shade, heat, cold, smog, pollution, wind, and humidity (Foster, 1996). The ginkgo tree can grow 75 to coulomb feet tall with a trunk up to 8 feet in diameter, They have a distinctive fan- shaped cockle, which are bright green in the spring. Their leaves turn to a dull green in the summer and draw a translucent gold in the fall (Corrigan, 1997). The ginkgo tree was used for many purposes, even in the ancient times. The ginkgo leaf was first mentioned in local area network Maos Dian Nan Ben Cao, published in 1436. Lan Mao notes the external use to treat skin and head ... ...iful living fossil. St. Louis come out Dispatch, p. L141. Foster, Steven. 1996. Ginkgo biloba a living fossil for todays health needs. Better feed 58(4) 54-56. Mowrey , Daniel. 1997. Valerian root, passion flower, and ginkgo are top neurotonic herbs. 59(l) 34. Tyler, Varro E. 1998. Boost your brain and your libido ginkgo this ancient herb may improve memory and (surprise) wake up your sex life. Prevention 50(6) 91-93. Additonal References Holt, Ben F. and Gar W. Rothwell. 1997. Is Ginkgo biloba really an oviparous coiffe? American Journal of Botany 84(6) 870-873. Huffman, Grace Brooke. 1998. Efficacy of Ginkgo biloba in treating dementia, American Family Physician 57(10) 2504-2506. Oken, Barry S. 1999, The efficacy of Ginkgo biloba on cognitive bit in Alzheimer disease. Journal of American Medical Association 281(5) 402.