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Plant Profile
Plant Name: Aegle marmelos (L.) CORREA EX. SCHULTZ

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-lanceolate, thin, pale green on both surfaces, hairless, base 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 - 10 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.

Habit
Tree
Habitat
From coastal plains to moist deciduous forests
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. Abundent in drier zones.
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.
Trade
Local, regional and national. Parts traded are root bark, fruits and fruit pulp. Curved or channelled pieces of root bark are sold under the treade name Bilva mool tvak. Priced at Rs. 9 to 30/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. 10 to 25/Kg. (Market Studies, 1999-2000).