Botanical Title-Aegel marmelos
Family-RUTACEAE

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Course: Magnoliopsida
Subclass: Rosidae
Purchase: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Aegle
Species: A. marmelos

Introduction
Bilva is a fruit-bearing tree indigenous to dry forests on hills and plains of central and southern India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. It is cultivated throughout India, as properly as in Sri Lanka, northern Malaya, Java and in the Philippines. It is also popularly recognised as Bilva, Bilwa, Bel, or Beli fruit, Bengal quince, stone apple, and wood apple. The tree, which is the only species in the genus Aegle, grows up to eighteen meters tall.

Bilva is extensively described and employed in the Vedic literature. Bilva Mani dharana is regarded as Duhsvapan naana, Raksoghna, Rasayana, Prajasthapana, Visghna and many others. It is also employed for rituals, marriages and many others. Its cosmetic houses have been also documented by the historical texts.

Bilva is a pretty very good resource of protein which is 5.twelve for every cent of the edible part. Fresh 50 %-ripe Bilva fruit is mildly astringent and is employed for dysentery and diarrhea. The pulp may be eaten or the decoction administered. Bilva is mentioned to treatment with no generating any tendency to constipation. Bilva leaves, fruits and root can be employed as tonic and coolant with antibiotic houses

This tree is a larval foodplant for the following two Indian Swallowtail butterflies, the Lime Butterfly Papilio demoleus and the Typical Mormon Papilio polytes.

Bilva is regarded to be the greatest Saiigrahika and Dipaniya drug staying vata kapha hara (C.S.Su.25). Bilva Patra is however vãtahara only (C.S.S.27). Suruta quoted Bilva as Rasayana (S.S.Ci.27). Bilva is also identified as Siva Druma (Lord Siva’s favourite tree) is held sacred by Hindus, the leaves staying supplied in prayers to iva & Parvati. As Chopra aptly places it, “No drug has been extended far better recognised, additional appreciated by the inhabitants of India than bael fruits”. Distinct areas of the tree are employed in historical drugs viz, root (vatakaraj stem (Hridroga hara or Jvara hara), leaves (Madhumeha hara), Apakva phala (sangrahi) and pakva phala (laxative).

Botanical Description – It is a medium to relatively big sized deciduous and glabrous tree up to six-seven.5 m large and 90-a hundred and twenty cm in girth. Branches armed with straight sharp, axillary 2.5 cm long spines. Bark delicate, corky, light grey.

Leaves alternate, trifoliate, sometimes digitately five foliate. Leaflets ovate or ovate Ianceolate, crenate, acuminate, lateral sessile, terminal long petioled.

Bouquets big, greenish white, sweet scented in shorter axillary panicles.
Fruits glabose, grey or yellow, rind woody. Seeds-various, rectangular, compressed, em-bedded in sacs included with thick orange coloured sweet pulp. Fruit 2 1/2 to 3 1/4 inches in diameter, globular or ovoid in form, color greyish brown, outside floor difficult and virtually smooth. Rind about 1/eight inch thick and adherent to a light red pulp, in which are ten to fifteen cells, each that contains numerous woolly seeds. It has a faint aromatic odour and mucilagenous taste.