Nat. Ord. (Natural Order) Taxace�. Lin. Syst. (Linnean System) Mon�cia, Polyandria. This fine exotic tree, which appears to be perfectly hardy in this climate, is one of the most singular in its foliage that has ever come under our observation. The leaves are wedge-shaped, or somewhat triangular, attached to the petioles at one of the angles, and pale yellowish green in color; the ribs or veins, instead of diverging from the central mid-rib of the leaf, as is commonly the case in dicotyledonous plants, are all parallel; in short, they almost exactly resemble (except in being three or four times as large) those of the beautiful Maiden hair fern (Adiantum) common in our woods: being thickened at the edges and notched on the margin in a similar manner. The male flowers are yellow, sessile catkins; the female is seated in a curious kind of cup, formed by the enlargement of the summit of the peduncle. The fruit is a drupe, about an inch in length, containing a nut, which, according to Dr. Abel, is almost always to be seen for sale in the markets of China and Japan, the native country of this tree. They are eaten after having been roasted or boiled, and are considered excellent.
[The ginkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba, or Salisburia adiantifolia). Origin: Named after R. A. Salisbury, an English botanist]
