Bel

Nepali : Bel
Sanskrit: Vilra
English : Beal fruit
Hindi: Bel
Scientific name : Aegle marmelos linn. correa ex Roxb.

Family: Rutaceae
Habit: A spinous tree
Flowering Period: March-July
Fruiting Period: April-June (next year)

Chemical Constituents :
              Vitamins and Xanthotoxins. Umbelliferone, skimmianine from bark, roots and mucilage and pectin from fruit.

Occurence:
          Tropical to Sub-tropical zone (upto 1200m)

Description :
       A moderate-sized , slender, aromatic tree, 6-7.5 m in height and 90-120cm in girth , with a somewhat fluted bole of 3-4.5m, growing wild throughout the decidous forests.

Uses:
    The fruits are official in the pharmacopoeia. They are valued in Ayurvedic medicine.

Source: Dutta, I.C. (2007). Non Timber Forest Products of Nepal.