Ginkgo biloba
speciesAt a glance
Sources17 archives
Databases and archives Ginkgo biloba's data was compiled from.
WikipediaWikimedia Foundation19 languages↗
BioWikiNetmultilingual Wikipediamultilingual↗
GBIFGlobal Biodiversity Information Facility46 955 records↗
OBISOcean Biodiversity Information System2 records↗
ENAEuropean Nucleotide Archive · EMBL-EBI85 eDNA detections↗
BOLD SystemsCentre for Biodiversity Genomics104 specimens↗
NCBIUS National Library of Medicinesequences↗
dukesphytochemcompounds
FooDBThe Metabolomics Innovation Centrecompounds↗
LOTUSNatural Products (Wikidata)compounds↗
NPASSNat. Product Activity & Species Sourcecompounds↗
GRIN TaxonomyUSDA-ARSdistribution & uses↗
Open Tree of LifeOpenTreephylogeny backbone↗
CCDBChromosome Counts DB · Tel Aviv U.genome & karyotype↗
GoaTGenomes on a Tree · Sangergenome & karyotype↗
WikidataWikimedia Foundationstructured facts↗
GLoBIGlobal Biotic Interactionsbiotic interactions↗Every layer below draws on the sources above — open one to explore it, or use ← → to move between tabs.
Ginkgo biloba, commonly known as ginkgo or gingko ( ) also known as the maidenhair tree, is a species of tree native to China. It is the last living species in the order Ginkgoales, which first appeared over 290 million years ago. Fossils very similar to the living species, belonging to the genus Ginkgo, extend back to the Middle Jurassic approximately 170 million years ago. The tree was cultivated early in human history and remains commonly planted. Ginkgo leaf extract is commonly used as a dietary supplement, but there is no scientific evidence that it supports human health or is effective against any disease.
No narrative description available for this taxon yet.
Size & morphology7
Life cycle & reproduction24
Diet & foraging1
Habitat & environment26
Physiology & chemistry23
Uses & economy14
Other traits6
Compounds documented for Ginkgo biloba across natural-product and food-composition databases — not just the ~150 nutrients on a classic label ("nutritional dark matter").
Compound class profile5 classes
Documented compounds6 502 total
| Compound | Class | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| CARBOHYDRATES | 838,400 ppm | DukesPhytochem | |
| WATER | 760,000 ppm | DukesPhytochem | |
| STARCH | 680,000 ppm | DukesPhytochem | |
| LINOLENIC-ACID | 452,000 ppm | DukesPhytochem | |
| N-HEPTACOSANE | 381,000 ppm | DukesPhytochem | |
| FIBER(DIETARY) | 350,000 ppm | DukesPhytochem | |
| PALMITIC-ACID | 251,000 ppm | DukesPhytochem | |
| N-PENTACOSANE | 174,000 ppm | DukesPhytochem | |
| PROTEIN | 131,000 ppm | DukesPhytochem |
A DNA barcode is a short, standardised stretch of genes that works like a fingerprint — enough to tell one species from another. Below is the molecular trace Ginkgo biloba has left across the world's sequence archives.
At a glance
★ the standard DNA barcode for this group — the short region actually read to tell this species apart. The rest are extra genes sequenced along the way.
Besides the big genome in the nucleus, cells carry a small, circular loop of DNA inside the cell's energy factories — the mitochondria. It is inherited almost only from the mother and is a leftover from ancient bacteria that moved into the cell. The mitochondrial markers above (ND*, COX, CYTB…) are read from exactly this loop. Outer ring = one strand, inner ring = the other.
The complete instruction manual Ginkgo biloba carries — its genome. We read it from three angles — how big it is, how the DNA is packed into chromosomes, and how completely it has been sequenced — and explain how to read each value as you go.
Genome sizehow big the whole instruction manual is
Measured in base pairs (bp) — the individual letters of DNA (human ≈ 3.2 Gb, a bacterium a few million). The chart places this genome on a logarithmic scale — each step to the right is ten times bigger — among reference organisms. Across species a bigger genome loosely tracks with larger cells, slower growth and lower-energy lifestyles (powered flight favours small genomes) — yet it does not imply more genes or a more advanced organism (the long-standing C-value paradox).
Chromosomes & ploidyhow the DNA is packaged
2n is the full chromosome count in a normal body cell; n is a gamete (egg or sperm), which carries half. Ploidy is how many complete chromosome sets each cell holds — 2× (diploid) is typical for animals, while higher levels (polyploidy) are common in plants. Click any value below to see the underlying records and sources.
2n 2422×GoaT · Kew Plant DNA C-values Database · CCDB · slov-fl · CCDB · ipcn-api-dl +5
n 124×CCDB · ipcn-api-dl · CCDB · Cave1957
Sequencing statusassembly quality — how far to trust these numbers
Assembly level tells you how finished the sequence is — from fragmented contigs, through scaffolds, up to a full chromosome-level assembly. BUSCO % estimates completeness: the share of genes expected to be present that were actually found. These describe the data quality, not the organism.
How far back this lineage goes — and how we know. Everything here is measured in Ma, short for “mega-annum”: millions of years ago. The chart reads left to right like a calendar of the Earth, from the deep past on the left to today at the right edgetop to bottom like a core drilled through the Earth, from the deep past at the top down to today at the bottom.
At a glance
When this lineage existed
How to read this: the coloured strip along the bottomdown the left is the geological calendar — the standard periods (Jurassic, Cretaceous…) every museum uses, shown so you can see which chapter of Earth's history this lineage lived in. The dashed rules marked ✦ are the five great mass extinctions. The orange marker is the DNA clock: DNA accumulates mutations at a roughly steady rate, so comparing this species' DNA with its relatives estimates when the lineage split off — independently of any fossil.
Record type46 957 records
Origin
Range
Wildobservation + sensor
Human sightings and records, or camera-trap / sensor detections — someone (or a device) saw or captured the species in the wild.
Museum / Voucheredphysical evidence
Backed by a physical specimen — a herbarium sheet, sample or voucher held in a collection. “Vouchered” means supported by material evidence, not just an observation.
Cultivated / Captivenot free-living
A living individual in a botanical garden, zoo or nursery — cultivated or kept, not free-living.
Wildobservation + sensor
Human sightings and records, or camera-trap / sensor detections — someone (or a device) saw or captured the species in the wild.
Holding institutions141 of 228 geolocated
Institutions and collections holding physical, vouchered specimens of this species — click a row to fly to it on the map.
| Institution | Specimens |
|---|---|
| Beijing, CN | 128 |
| Nanjing, CN | 91 |
| Guilin, CN | 54 |
| Wuhan, CN | 49 |
| Sanda, JP | 46 |
| Bronx, US | 40 |
| University of Silesia in Katowicelocation not on record | 37 |
| Tokushima, JP | 30 |
| Odawara, JP | 25 |
| LDlocation not on record | 24 |
| Saint Louis, US | 21 |
| Institute for Agricultural Bacteriology and Fermentation Biologylocation not on record | 20 |
| NSMKlocation not on record | 20 |
| Pullman, US | 18 |
| Millersville, US | 15 |
| MeiseBGlocation not on record | 15 |
| Auckland, NZ | 15 |
| Chapel Hill, US | 14 |
| Denton, US | 13 |
| Christchurch, NZ | 13 |
| South Kensington, GB | 13 |
| Gifu prefectural Museumlocation not on record | 12 |
| FFPRIlocation not on record | 12 |
| Appalachian State Universitylocation not on record | 12 |
| Museo Entomologico de Leonlocation not on record | 11 |
| Bando, JP | 11 |
| University of Stellenboschlocation not on record | 11 |
| Knoxville, US | 10 |
| Osaka, JP | 9 |
| Wuzhou, CN | 9 |
| Oskarshamn, SE | 9 |
| Chongqing Museumlocation not on record | 9 |
| Karlsruhe, DE | 9 |
| Universidad Católica de Santa Maríalocation not on record | 8 |
| Taipei, TW | 8 |
| Chiba, JP | 8 |
| Mount Pleasant, US | 8 |
| Tampa, US | 8 |
| College Park, US | 8 |
| Nagano City, JP | 8 |
| Fort Worth, US | 8 |
| National Institute of Biological Resourceslocation not on record | 7 |
| Kunming, CN | 7 |
| Philadelphia, US | 7 |
| Cincinnati, US | 7 |
| Toyama, JP | 7 |
| Canadian Department of Agriculturelocation not on record | 7 |
| San Jose State University, Museum of Birds and Mammalslocation not on record | 7 |
| Macomb, US | 7 |
| Porto Alegre, BR | 7 |
| Santa Barbara, US | 7 |
| Flagstaff, US | 6 |
| US | 6 |
| Fredericksburg, US | 6 |
| Chicago, US | 6 |
| Lincoln, US | 6 |
| China Agricultural Universitylocation not on record | 6 |
| Hudson, US | 6 |
| Allentown, US | 6 |
| BIO-UNIPIlocation not on record | 6 |
| Long Beach, US | 6 |
| Mississippi State, US | 5 |
| Tennessee Technological Universitylocation not on record | 5 |
| KOMlocation not on record | 5 |
| Waverly, US | 5 |
| Kochi, JP | 5 |
| MAlocation not on record | 5 |
| Logan, US | 5 |
| Fullerton, US | 5 |
| Pocatello, US | 5 |
| PUC-RSlocation not on record | 5 |
| Uniwersytet Śląski w Katowicachlocation not on record | 5 |
| Tilburg, NL | 5 |
| McWane Science Centerlocation not on record | 5 |
| Institut und Museum fuer Geologie und Palaeontologielocation not on record | 5 |
| ASUlocation not on record | 5 |
| Rotorua, NZ | 5 |
| Severin-McDaniel Insect Collectionlocation not on record | 5 |
| University of Guelph, OAC Herbariumlocation not on record | 5 |
| Miami, US | 5 |
| BAYLUlocation not on record | 5 |
| Florida Museum of Natural History- Zoology, Paleontology & Paleobotanylocation not on record | 4 |
| Tsukuba, JP | 4 |
| Albuquerque, US | 4 |
| Barcelona, ES | 4 |
| Görlitz, DE | 4 |
| TAIElocation not on record | 4 |
| Riverside, US | 4 |
| Edinburgh, GB | 4 |
| San Jose, US | 4 |
| College of the Atlantic, Museumlocation not on record | 4 |
| Columbia, US | 4 |
| Trondheim, NO | 4 |
| Lord Fairfax Community Collegelocation not on record | 4 |
| Otaru, JP | 4 |
| Chengdu, CN | 4 |
| KIRMlocation not on record | 4 |
| Moscow, US | 4 |
| DOI/NPS, Little Rock Central High School National Historic Sitelocation not on record | 4 |
| University of Alberta Museumslocation not on record | 4 |
| Cheney, US | 3 |
| Provo, US | 3 |
| Northridge, US | 3 |
| US | 3 |
| Ypsilanti, US | 3 |
| Denver, US | 3 |
| J.F.Oberlin Universitylocation not on record | 3 |
| Longwood Universitylocation not on record | 3 |
| Nishihara, JP | 3 |
| Lubbock, US | 3 |
| Valparaiso, CL | 3 |
| Badajoz, ES | 3 |
| Mexico City, MX | 3 |
| Philadelphia, US | 3 |
| Kew, GB | 3 |
| Claremont, US | 3 |
| Bern, CH | 3 |
| Istituto Agrario Castelnuovolocation not on record | 3 |
| Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznańlocation not on record | 3 |
| València, ES | 3 |
| Henry Brockhouse Collectionlocation not on record | 3 |
| James Cook Townsvillelocation not on record | 2 |
| Norfolk, US | 2 |
| Universidad de Caldas (UCaldas)location not on record | 2 |
| Provincia di Livornolocation not on record | 2 |
| Berlin, DE | 2 |
| Boise, US | 2 |
| Vancouver, CA | 2 |
| Fukushima Universitylocation not on record | 2 |
| Nishihara, JP | 2 |
| Sagamihara, JP | 2 |
| KNAMlocation not on record | 2 |
| Dresden, DE | 2 |
| Chicago, US | 2 |
| GJOlocation not on record | 2 |
| US | 2 |
| Tuscaloosa, US | 2 |
| WTUlocation not on record | 2 |
| New Haven, US | 2 |
| Bangkok, TH | 2 |
| Entomological Society of Latvialocation not on record | 2 |
| Ivano-Frankivsk, UA | 2 |
| Santarém, BR | 2 |
| Podgorica, ME | 2 |
| Staatliches Museum fuer Naturkunde Karlsruhe (State Museum of Natural History)location not on record | 2 |
| Clemson, US | 2 |
| Canberra, AU | 2 |
| Durban, ZA | 2 |
| Obihiro Centennial City Museumlocation not on record | 2 |
| Maringá, BR | 2 |
| Alicante, ES | 2 |
| Natural History Museum Rotterdamlocation not on record | 2 |
| Keene State Universitylocation not on record | 2 |
| Akita Prefectural Museumlocation not on record | 2 |
| Hobart, AU | 2 |
| Honolulu, US | 2 |
| Valparaíso, CL | 2 |
| UIBlocation not on record | 2 |
| SZUlocation not on record | 2 |
| St. Paul, US | 2 |
| Vitoria, ES | 2 |
| Armidale, AU | 2 |
| Staten Island, US | 2 |
| Davenport, US | 2 |
| DOI/NPS, Mississippi National River & Recreation Arealocation not on record | 2 |
| KMNlocation not on record | 2 |
| Royal Botanical Gardenslocation not on record | 2 |
| KIWElocation not on record | 1 |
| BFLlocation not on record | 1 |
| Chapingo, MX | 1 |
| UEMlocation not on record | 1 |
| Uniwersytet Jagiellońskilocation not on record | 1 |
| Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Región Xalapalocation not on record | 1 |
| UFBAlocation not on record | 1 |
| KURAlocation not on record | 1 |
| Sion, CH | 1 |
| EL PASO, US | 1 |
| Uniwersytet Marii Curie-Skłodowskiejlocation not on record | 1 |
| Hiratsuka City Museumlocation not on record | 1 |
| Universidad del Quindío (UniQuindío)location not on record | 1 |
| Brookings, US | 1 |
| Montréal, CA | 1 |
| Museum Of Natural And Environmental History, Shizuokalocation not on record | 1 |
| Jackson, US | 1 |
| BG-NMNHSlocation not on record | 1 |
| SLU Artdatabankenlocation not on record | 1 |
| Ann Arbor, US | 1 |
| Banyoles, ES | 1 |
| Monastir, TN | 1 |
| Québec, CA | 1 |
| Brasília, BR | 1 |
| Lake Charles, US | 1 |
| Leiden University Medical Centerlocation not on record | 1 |
| National Institute for Food and Drug Controllocation not on record | 1 |
| Jaén, ES | 1 |
| Herbarium of South China Botanical Gardenlocation not on record | 1 |
| Bloomington, US | 1 |
| CICYTEXlocation not on record | 1 |
| Dekalb, US | 1 |
| Tartu, EE | 1 |
| Davis, US | 1 |
| SIHUlocation not on record | 1 |
| Palmerston North, NZ | 1 |
| Dehra Dun, IN | 1 |
| UNESP-FCAlocation not on record | 1 |
| Mohonk Preservelocation not on record | 1 |
| BISHlocation not on record | 1 |
| UFOPlocation not on record | 1 |
| Durham, US | 1 |
| Tampere, FI | 1 |
| Santa Cruz de la Sierra, BO | 1 |
| Pamplona, ES | 1 |
| Sendai, JP | 1 |
| Royal Botanic Garden Edinburghlocation not on record | 1 |
| Valdosta State Universitylocation not on record | 1 |
| Universidad de La Salle (La Salle)location not on record | 1 |
| Angwin, US | 1 |
| Mexico City, MX | 1 |
| Minia, EG | 1 |
| GBS RAN - Glavny Botanichesky Sad Rossijskoj Akademii Nauklocation not on record | 1 |
| Orem, US | 1 |
| Santiago de Compostela, ES | 1 |
| Salvador, BR | 1 |
| Smithfield, AU | 1 |
| Portland, US | 1 |
| Museum of the Rockieslocation not on record | 1 |
| Museo naturalistico del Frignano Ferruccio Minghellilocation not on record | 1 |
| UNESP-RClocation not on record | 1 |
Cultivated / Captivenot free-living
A living individual in a botanical garden, zoo or nursery — cultivated or kept, not free-living.
Where the DNA of Ginkgo biloba was picked up in samples of water, soil or air — nobody saw the organism, only its DNA left behind. A trace is a clue that the species was near, not a confirmed sighting.
Signal
Where its DNA was found
How strong is each trace?
Measured at samplingin-field
Modelled climatemodelled
How to read this: each dot is one detection of this species' DNA in an environmental sample. The confidence meter weighs how many independent studies and places back up the signal — one detection in one study is a hint; many across several studies is solid. Records dated before 2008 (when eDNA methods began) are treated as likely mislabeled and left off the map.