Ginkgo Biloba is one of the oldest living tree species, dating back over 300 million years, and individual trees can live for over 1,000 years.

• The name "ginkgo" means silver apricot.
  
• There is only one living species, and was once widely distributed in the Northern hemisphere (Ginkgo biloba). It is therefore referred to as a "living fossil". Buddhist monks kept the only remaining species alive.
  
• They are one of the few kinds of gymnosperms that are deciduous (their leaves turn and drop in the fall).
  
• The trees are also dioecious-meaning that there are male and female trees.
  

• Leaves are produced in short spiral shoots.
  
• The ginkgo has paired ovules with only one used to create the seed.
  
• The seeds have fleshy coats but they are not like the true fruits of angiosperms. The seeds have a foul odor and produce irritants that can cause an allergic reaction on the skin for some humans.
  

 below from: http://www.go-symmetry.com/ginkgo.htm

• Recently, western researchers have been studying Ginkgo biloba as a treatment for senility, hardening of the arteries, and as a treatment for oxygen deprivation. More than 34 human studies on Ginkgo have been published since 1975, showing, among other things, that Ginkgo can increases the body's production of ATP. This activity has been shown to boost the brains energy metabolism of glucose and increase electrical activity.

  Ginkgo also contains the usual antioxidants Vitamin C and carotenoids, as well as the flavonoid compounds collectively known as "ginkgolides" that are the most remarkable. The Ginkgo flavonoids act specifically to dilate the smallest segment of the circulatory system, the microcapillaries, which has a widespread affect on the organs, especially the brain.

• Researchers have also reported that Ginkgo extracts effectively increase blood circulation and increase oxygen levels in brain tissues. Ginkgo is also a powerful antioxidant that prevents platelet aggregation inside arterial walls, keeping them flexible and decreasing the formation of arteriosclerositic plaque.