Why Do Ginkgo Tree Berries Stink?为什么银杏果是臭的?

As late autumn approaches， it’s time to enjoy the golden ginkgo trees. But just as you go closer to take a photo， a very pungent smell hits your nose. Why are ginkgos so smelly？

Ginkgo trees can be either male or female. The female trees produce fruit while the male trees don’t.

The small “fruit” is ginkgo seeds， which have several layers. The fresh outer layer has butyric acid， the main source of the smell. When the fruit decays， the smell becomes stronger， which tends to keep animals away from eating the seedrof6LjMTowuUAMsDTMXZ0g==s. What a great way for the tree to protect its seeds！

Also， some animals interested in the smell may take the seeds away， enabling the seeds to grow in a space elsewhere.

Clearly， ginkgo trees fail to keep humans away since the fruit often appears in dishes， especially in Asian countries.

However， the seeds can be toxic. It’s advised that only a few cooked seeds should be eaten at a time.

随着深秋临近，又到了欣赏金色银杏叶的季节。但每每想要走近银杏树拍照时，总有一股刺鼻的气味扑面而来。银杏果（白果）为什么这么臭呢？

银杏树是雌雄异株植物，结果的是雌株，不结果的是雄株。

小小的果实是银杏果，有好几层皮，新鲜的外皮含有丁酸——臭味的主要来源。果皮腐烂时，臭味会变得更强烈，这让动物敬而远之，银杏果也就避免了被吃掉的命运，这是一种很好的自我保护机制。

当然，有一些对银杏果气味感兴趣的动物会把银杏果带走，让银杏种子在其他地方落地生根。

显然，银杏树并不能让人类离它远远的，因为银杏果经常出现在菜肴中，尤其是在亚洲国家。

然而，银杏果可能有毒，建议一次只吃几颗煮熟的银杏果。

Word Bank

pungent /'pʌndʒənt/ adj. 刺鼻的

decay /dɪ'keɪ/ v. 腐烂

toxic /'tɒksɪk/ adj. 有毒的