
Aegle marmelos
(L.) Corr.
Crateva marmelos L.
RUTACEAE
Vernacular names:
Hindi - Bel, Sriphal
Kannada -
Bilva patte
Malayalam - Koovalam, Vilvam
Marathi - Bili, Baela
Sanskrit -
Bilva, Sriphal
Tamil - Vilvam
Telugu -
Bilvamu, Maredu
Threat status:
Vulnerable (A 1 c) - KA & TN
Not Evaluated - KL
Habit: Tree
Habitat: From coastal plains to moist deciduous forests
Altitude: From sea level to 1200 m
Distribution: Global: India, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Widely cultivated in southeast Asia, Malaysia and tropical Africa. National: Common throughout India from coastal belt to subtropical western Himalayas and Andaman Islands. Abundant in drier zones. Regional: Common in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu (wild as well as cultivated). No wild populations recorded in Kerala.
Description: A deciduous, thorny tree growing up to 12 m high. Trunk about 50 cm across. Bark grey outside, rough, pealing off irregularly in to small flakes. Blaze yellow. Wood hard, dull white. Branchlets often
drooping, with straight, stout, sharp, solitary or paired, about 4 cm long thorns. Leaves alternate; leaflets 3 (rarely 5), egg-shaped to elliptic or oblong-Ianceolate, thin, pale green on both surfaces, hairless, base wedge-shaped or rounded, apex tapering into a blunt tip, margin toothed with minute rounded teeth, terminal leaflets larger, about 13 x 6.5 cm, lateral leaflets smaller, about 7 x 4 cm; leaf stalks about 6 cm long. Flowers bisexual, 3-6 in axillary racemes, about 1.5 cm long, greenish white, fragrant. Berries ovoid to sub-globose, 5-1D x 4-8 cm, yellow when mature with woody rind and a short neck. Seeds many, oblong, flat, about 1 cm long, embedded in thick orange or flesh coloured mucilaginous sweet pulp.
Phenology: Leaf fall: January; New foliage: February onwards; Flowering: March to April; Fruiting: September to December. Fruits of the previous season often persistent.
Notes: A sacred tree often grown in Hindu temples in India. The leaves are used for various rituals.
Medicinal uses: Roots, bark, leaves and fruits are highly medicinal. Roots are one of the ingredients of the drug dasamula arishtam; used in colitis, dysentery, diarrhoea, flatulence, fever, vomiting and colic. The root and root bark are used for relieving intermittent fever, thirst and body pain. Leaves are used for treating opthalmia, deafness, indigestion, piles and jaundice. Leaf juices are used in curing catarrh and fever. Tender fruits are bitter, astringent, anti laxative, digestive, promote digestion and strength, as well as overcome diarrhoea and dysentery. Ripe fruits are nutritious, cooling, used in treating indigestion and to improve vision.
Trade information: Local, regional and national. Parts traded are root bark, fruits and fruit pulp. Curved or channelled pieces of root bark are sold under the trade name Bilva mool tvak. Priced at Rs.9 to 3D/Kg.(Market studies, 1999-2000). Dry, peeled, spherical pieces of the fruits (cut in halves or quarters) are sold under the name Belgiri or Bilva phal. Priced at Rs.1 0 to 25/Kg. (Market studies, 1999-2000).
Mode of propagation: By seeds and grafts
Special characters: Branchlets have prominent axillary spines and leaflets possess numerous minute gland dots. The fragrant white flowers contain many stamens. Fruits resemble wood-apple. The tender shoots and leaves are quite brittle.