| Ginkgoaceae Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Jurassic Ginkgo leaves | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Gymnospermae |
| Division: | Ginkgophyta |
| Class: | Ginkgoopsida |
| Order: | Ginkgoales |
| Family: | Ginkgoaceae Engl. [1] [2] |
| Genera | |
| |
The Ginkgoaceae are a family of gymnosperms which appeared during the Mesozoic Era, of which the only extant representative is Ginkgo biloba , which is for this reason sometimes regarded as a living fossil. Formerly, however, there were several other genera, and forests of ginkgo existed. Because leaves can take such diverse forms within a single species, these are a poor measure of diversity, although differing structures of wood point to the existence of diverse ginkgo forests in ancient times. [3]
