The ginkgo tree is considered a “living fossil” because it has changed little in shape for nearly 200 million years. Originally, the tree originated in China and Japan, where it is also grown as a temple tree. Since the middle of the 18th century, the tree has also been cultivated in Europe and the USA. For the extraction of the leaves, ginkgo is also cultivated in the Rhine Valley, but most of the material used medicinally comes from China, Japan, Korea and France.
Ginkgo in herbal medicine
In herbal medicine one uses the dried leaves of the Ginkgo tree (Ginkgo folium). However, these are not used therapeutically themselves, but a special extract obtained from them, the ginkgo dry extract, which is produced in a complex and patent-protected process.
The resulting yield from the leaves is low, however: from five tons of the leaves, only about 100 kilograms of the ginkgo extract are obtained in the end.
Characteristics of the ginkgo tree
Ginkgo is a very large (30-40 m), hardy and extremely durable tree, whose crown is first conical, later more spreading. Leaves are fan-shaped, often bilobed, and alternate.
Male and female flowers grow on different trees; the yellow, monocotyledonous seeds develop from the female flowers.
In Asia, the ginkgo tree is considered a symbol of hope and long life.
The leaves of the ginkgo: characteristics of the medicine.
The medicinally useful source material consists of the stalked leaves, which are about 4-10 cm in size. These are deep green to yellowish green and two-lobed, you can clearly see the parallel leaf veins. The leaf margin is smooth on the side, in the other places it is wavy.
Smell and taste of ginkgo
The outer layer of the female seeds smells unpleasantly of butyric acid, but the seed kernel is edible and is considered a delicacy in China.
Ginkgo leaves emit a faint, somewhat peculiar odor. The taste of the leaves is slightly bitter.
