The Maidenhair Tree, Ginkgo biloba, is the only living species in the division Ginkgophyta, all others being extinct. This species can be traced back to fossils which are 270 million years old. Ginkgo fossils are common in the rocks of the Jurassic and Cretaceous and were therefore probably eaten by dinosaurs. Native to China, Ginkgo biloba is planted widely as an ornamental tree, and there are a few specimens in Leicestershire, notably an avenue of trees in Knighton Park.
Bartheletia paradoxa is a fungus which grows only on the fallen leaves of Ginkgo biloba. In autumn dark pustules of thick-walled resting spores (teliospores) form on the surface of the fallen leaves and these germinate after a resting period of a year. Since this species only occurs on Ginkgo biloba, it has presumably evolved along with it and therefore, was presumably eaten by dinosaurs. This unusual fungus also occupies a unique taxonomic position, along with its host species, a living dinosaur. We have only one record of this fungus in VC55, but it is relatively easy to spot on the fallen leaves of Ginkgos. If you get out there quickly, you may be able to find some - otherwise, you'll have to wait until the leaves fall again in the autumn.