Ginkgo leaf. Leaf of the Chinese maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba) with a computer graphic swirl in the background. The two-lobed leaf is unique among trees in having no midrib or network of branching veins. Instead, veins fan out from the base of the leaf. Ginkgo biloba is the only living representative of an ancient family of plants (Ginkgoales). As its name suggests, the Chinese maidenhair tree is native to China but was introduced to Europe in the eighteenth century.