word-less Wednesday

You say Permian, I say Paleozoic

ABC Wednesday's letter is G and for me no leaf is prettier than the ruffled, fan shape leaves on a Ginkgo Biloba tree, also known as Maidenhair Tree. The leaves are thick and have a faint waxy feel. Ginkgo biloba in Chinese is yín xìng 銀杏 but gets it name from the Japanese word ginkyo--yínguǒ 銀果, meaning silver apricot which is eaten in Japan.

These photos are from a tree in my neighborhood. Their leaves seem to unfurl later in spring and are some of the last to fall in autumn--maybe due to living in Zone 5. I remember the tall slender trees lining streets near the Frank Lloyd Wright Robie House in Chicago.

The Ginkgo is a living fossil, with fossils recognisably related to modern
Ginkgo from the Permian (last of Paleozoic Era) dating back
270 million years.

Visit ABC Wednesday Round 4 for more great 'g' words. You might want to join in the fun. Our host, Mrs Nesbitt asks if we say good morning, afternoon or evening when posting for ABC Wednesday--and since I'm always behind schedule it is definitely good afternoon from Minnesota!