I've written before about the Ginkgo biloba tree, and it really is most spectacular in the fall when the leaves turn bright yellow and fall within a few days, but the other day walking through the park the sun behind this tree showed off the primitive vascular system. You can see that unlike less ancient trees, the vessels have simple splitting into two parts as the leaf fans out. This is one step up in complexity from conifer needles, but is a far cry from the complexity of more modern trees with their intricate webs.
