Resources and Prospects of Ginkgo biloba in China

Abstract

The natural distribution of Ginkgo has been restricted to China since the late Quaternary and early Tertiary when glaciation destroyed Ginkgo in reduced distribution areas in North America and Europe. Some parts of China untouched by the glacial epoch remained as refuges of certain archaic species such as Ginkgo biloba, Metaseqouia glyptostroboides, and Liriodendron chinense. However, it has long been a question whether wild Ginkgo trees survived in the wild or only as cultivated trees in gardens and temples.