Aegle marmelos (Linn.) Corr.
Vernacular Name: Bela (O); Bal (H, Beng.); Vilwa (Beng.); Bael tree (E).
Small or medium-sised tree; spines 1-2, axillary, strong. Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets ovate, ovate-lanceolate or elliptic, terminal one larger, entire or crenulate. Flowers white or greenish-white, in lateral and subterminal simple panicles, appearing with the new leaves. Berry globose or ovoid, woody; seeds embedded in a clear mucilage and yellow, sweety aromatic pulp.
Quite common in dry open forests; often planted near temples and villages.
Flowering : March - April
Fruiting : Ripening after one year