The<unk> <unk> ; in Chinese '銀杏', pinyin romanization, yín xìng), frequently misspelled as "Gingko", and also known as the Maidenhair Tree after Adiantum, is a unique tree with no close living relatives. The<unk>  is classified in its own division, the<unk> phyta, comprising the single class<unk> opsida, order<unk> ales, family<unk> aceae, genus<unk>  and is the only extant species within this group. It is one of the best-known examples of a living fossil, because<unk> ales are not known from the fossil record after the Pliocene.
For centuries it was thought to be extinct in the wild, but is now known to grow in at least two small areas in Zhejiang province in Eastern China, in the Tian Mu Shan Reserve. However, recent studies indicate high genetic uniformity among<unk>  trees from these areas, arguing against a natural origin of these populations. Therefore, it has been suggested that the<unk>  trees in these areas appear to have been planted and preserved by Chinese monks over a period of about 1000 years.  Whether native<unk>  populations still exist has not been demonstrated unequivocally and is therefore uncertain.
The relationship of<unk>  to other plant groups remains uncertain. It has been placed loosely in the divisions Spermatophyta and Pinophyta, but no consensus has been reached. Since<unk>  seeds are not protected by an ovary wall, it can morphologically be considered a gymnosperm. The apricot-like structures produced by female<unk>  trees are technically not fruits, but are the seeds having a shell that consists of a soft and fleshy section (the sarcotesta), and a hard section (the sclerotesta).
Ginkgo biloba
Ioglicic acid
Gedocarnil
Ioxaglic acid
Pyritinol
Deslanoside
Bitolterol
Megesterol