1- Introduction to the Genus Aegle Corrêa - Bael genus
1.1- Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Subfamily: Aurantioideae
Tribe: Citreae Meisn. = Aurantieae Rchb.
Subtribe: Balsamocitrinae
Genus: Aegle Corrêa
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Subfamily: Aurantioideae
Tribe: Citreae Meisn. = Aurantieae Rchb.
Subtribe: Balsamocitrinae
Genus: Aegle Corrêa
1.2- Genus Aegle Corrêa - Bael genus
+ Overview
The Genus Aegle Corrêa is in the Subtribe Balsamocitrinae, in the Tribe Citreae (Synonym = Aurantieae Rchb.), in the Subfamily Aurantioideae, in the Family Rutaceae of the Order Sapindales.
+ Species of the genus Aegle
1- Aegle decandra Náves ex Fern.-Vill. (Syn. = Swinglea glutinosa (Blanco) Merr.)
2- Aegle marmelos (L.) Corrêa
+ Species that have edible fruits
1- Aegle marmelos (L.) Corrêa
+ Overview
The Genus Aegle Corrêa is in the Subtribe Balsamocitrinae, in the Tribe Citreae (Synonym = Aurantieae Rchb.), in the Subfamily Aurantioideae, in the Family Rutaceae of the Order Sapindales.
+ Species of the genus Aegle
1- Aegle decandra Náves ex Fern.-Vill. (Syn. = Swinglea glutinosa (Blanco) Merr.)
2- Aegle marmelos (L.) Corrêa
+ Species that have edible fruits
1- Aegle marmelos (L.) Corrêa
2- Introduction to the Species Aegle marmelos (L.) Corrêa - Bengal quince
2.1- Introduction
+ Overview
Aegle marmelos (L.) Corrêa, commonly known as Bael (or bili or bhel), also Bengal quince, golden apple, Japanese bitter orange, stone apple or wood apple, is a species of tree native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is present in Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malesia as a naturalized species. The tree is considered to be sacred by Hindus. An extract from the plant, aegeline, used in manufacturing a weight loss dietary supplement (OxyElite) which has been associated with liver damage upon oral consumption, was at the origin of federal lawsuits in the United States beginning in 2015, resulting in the arrest of numerous people involved in the manufacturing and marketing of OxyElite.
+ Synonyms:
1- Belou marmelos (L.) A.Lyons
2- Crataeva marmelos L.
3- Feronia pellucida Roth
+ Overview
Aegle marmelos (L.) Corrêa, commonly known as Bael (or bili or bhel), also Bengal quince, golden apple, Japanese bitter orange, stone apple or wood apple, is a species of tree native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is present in Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malesia as a naturalized species. The tree is considered to be sacred by Hindus. An extract from the plant, aegeline, used in manufacturing a weight loss dietary supplement (OxyElite) which has been associated with liver damage upon oral consumption, was at the origin of federal lawsuits in the United States beginning in 2015, resulting in the arrest of numerous people involved in the manufacturing and marketing of OxyElite.
+ Synonyms:
1- Belou marmelos (L.) A.Lyons
2- Crataeva marmelos L.
3- Feronia pellucida Roth
2.2- Characteristics
+ Botanical information
- Plant
Bael is the only member of the monotypic genus Aegle. It is a deciduous shrub or small to medium-sized tree, up to 13m tall with slender drooping branches and rather shabby crown.
- Bark
The bark is pale brown or grayish, smooth or finely fissured and flaking, armed with long straight spines, 1.2-2.5 cm singly or in pairs, often with slimy sap oozing out from cut parts. The gum is also described as a clear, gummy sap, resembling gum arabic, which exudes from wounded branches and hangs down in long strands, becoming gradually solid. It is sweet at first taste and then irritating to the throat.
- Leaf
The leaf is trifoliate, alternate, each leaflet 5-14 x 2-6 cm, ovate with tapering or pointed tip and rounded base, untoothed or with shallow rounded teeth. Young leaves are pale green or pinkish, finely hairy while mature leaves are dark green and completely smooth. Each leaf has 4-12 pairs of side veins which are joined at the margin. The end leaflet features a long stalk, 0.5-3 cm while side stalks are typically shorter than 0.2 cm.
- Flower
The flowers are 1.5 to 2 cm, pale green or yellowish, sweetly scented, bisexual, in short drooping unbranched clusters at the end of twigs and leaf axils. They usually appear with young leaves. The calyx is flat with 4(5) small teeth. The four or five petals of 6-8 mm overlap in the bud. Many stamens have short filaments and pale brown, short style anthers. The ovary is bright green with an inconspicuous disc.
- Fruit
The bael fruit typically has a diameter of between 5 and 12 cm. It is globose or slightly pear-shaped with a thick, hard rind and does not split upon ripening. The woody shell is smooth and green, gray until it is fully ripe when it turns yellow. Inside are 8 to 15 or 20 sections filled with aromatic orange pulp.
- Seed
Each section of the fruit has 6 to 15 flattened-oblong seeds each about 1 cm long, bearing woolly hairs and each enclosed in a sac of adhesive, transparent mucilage that solidifies on drying. The exact number of seeds varies in different publications.
+ Botanical information
- Plant
Bael is the only member of the monotypic genus Aegle. It is a deciduous shrub or small to medium-sized tree, up to 13m tall with slender drooping branches and rather shabby crown.
- Bark
The bark is pale brown or grayish, smooth or finely fissured and flaking, armed with long straight spines, 1.2-2.5 cm singly or in pairs, often with slimy sap oozing out from cut parts. The gum is also described as a clear, gummy sap, resembling gum arabic, which exudes from wounded branches and hangs down in long strands, becoming gradually solid. It is sweet at first taste and then irritating to the throat.
- Leaf
The leaf is trifoliate, alternate, each leaflet 5-14 x 2-6 cm, ovate with tapering or pointed tip and rounded base, untoothed or with shallow rounded teeth. Young leaves are pale green or pinkish, finely hairy while mature leaves are dark green and completely smooth. Each leaf has 4-12 pairs of side veins which are joined at the margin. The end leaflet features a long stalk, 0.5-3 cm while side stalks are typically shorter than 0.2 cm.
- Flower
The flowers are 1.5 to 2 cm, pale green or yellowish, sweetly scented, bisexual, in short drooping unbranched clusters at the end of twigs and leaf axils. They usually appear with young leaves. The calyx is flat with 4(5) small teeth. The four or five petals of 6-8 mm overlap in the bud. Many stamens have short filaments and pale brown, short style anthers. The ovary is bright green with an inconspicuous disc.
- Fruit
The bael fruit typically has a diameter of between 5 and 12 cm. It is globose or slightly pear-shaped with a thick, hard rind and does not split upon ripening. The woody shell is smooth and green, gray until it is fully ripe when it turns yellow. Inside are 8 to 15 or 20 sections filled with aromatic orange pulp.
- Seed
Each section of the fruit has 6 to 15 flattened-oblong seeds each about 1 cm long, bearing woolly hairs and each enclosed in a sac of adhesive, transparent mucilage that solidifies on drying. The exact number of seeds varies in different publications.
+ Range and ecology
Aegle marmelos is native across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, and is cultivated throughout Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malesia. It occurs in dry, open forests on hills and plains at altitudes from sea level to around 1200m with mean annual rainfall of 570-2,000 mm. It has a reputation in India for being able to grow in places that other trees cannot. It copes with a wide range of soil conditions (pH range 5-10), is tolerant of waterlogging and has an unusually wide temperature tolerance (from -7 °C to 48 °C). It requires a pronounced dry season to give fruit. The tree is a larval foodplant for the following two Indian Swallowtail butterflies, the Lime butterfly Papilio demoleus, and the Common Mormon: Papilio polytes.
Aegle marmelos is native across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, and is cultivated throughout Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malesia. It occurs in dry, open forests on hills and plains at altitudes from sea level to around 1200m with mean annual rainfall of 570-2,000 mm. It has a reputation in India for being able to grow in places that other trees cannot. It copes with a wide range of soil conditions (pH range 5-10), is tolerant of waterlogging and has an unusually wide temperature tolerance (from -7 °C to 48 °C). It requires a pronounced dry season to give fruit. The tree is a larval foodplant for the following two Indian Swallowtail butterflies, the Lime butterfly Papilio demoleus, and the Common Mormon: Papilio polytes.
2.3- Food uses
The fruits can be eaten either fresh from trees or after being dried and produced into candy, toffee, pulp powder or nectar. If fresh, the juice is strained and sweetened to make a drink similar to lemonade. It can be made into sharbat or Bela pana, a beverage. Bela Pana made in Odisha has fresh cheese, milk, water, fruit pulp, sugar, crushed black pepper, and ice. Bæl pana, a drink made of the pulp with water, sugar, and citron juice, is mixed, left to stand a few hours, strained, and put on ice. One large bael fruit may yield five or six liters of sharbat. If the fruit is to be dried, it is usually sliced and sun-dried. The hard leathery slices are then immersed in water. The leaves and small shoots are eaten as salad greens.
Source: Bael (Aegle marmelos) - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The fruits can be eaten either fresh from trees or after being dried and produced into candy, toffee, pulp powder or nectar. If fresh, the juice is strained and sweetened to make a drink similar to lemonade. It can be made into sharbat or Bela pana, a beverage. Bela Pana made in Odisha has fresh cheese, milk, water, fruit pulp, sugar, crushed black pepper, and ice. Bæl pana, a drink made of the pulp with water, sugar, and citron juice, is mixed, left to stand a few hours, strained, and put on ice. One large bael fruit may yield five or six liters of sharbat. If the fruit is to be dried, it is usually sliced and sun-dried. The hard leathery slices are then immersed in water. The leaves and small shoots are eaten as salad greens.
Source: Bael (Aegle marmelos) - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Edited by Ho Dinh Hai
Long An - Vietnam
References
1- http://www.worldwidefruits.com
2- http://www.worldwidefruits.com/orders-of-plants.html
3- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapindales
4- http://www.britannica.com/plant/Sapindales
5- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurantioideae
6- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citreae
7- https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Balsamocitrinae
8- https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Aegle_(Rutaceae)
Long An - Vietnam
References
1- http://www.worldwidefruits.com
2- http://www.worldwidefruits.com/orders-of-plants.html
3- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapindales
4- http://www.britannica.com/plant/Sapindales
5- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurantioideae
6- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citreae
7- https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Balsamocitrinae
8- https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Aegle_(Rutaceae)
See Video about: Bilwa Aegle marmelos : the sacred tree.
See Video about: Bael Fruit Review (Aegle marmelos) - Weird Fruit Explorer Ep 158