Botanical name : Aegle marmelos Linn. Corr.
Family : Rutaceae
SANSKRIT SYNONYMS
Vilva, Maloorah, Sreephala, Sadaphala, Sailoosha.
AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES
Rasa : Kashaya, Tikta
Guna : Lakhu, Rooksha
Virya : Ushna
PLANT NAME IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
English : Bael tree, Holy Fruit tree
Hindi : Bilva
Malayalam : Koovalam
PLANT DESCRIPTION
Medium sized thorny deciduous tree grows up to 10 meters in height. Leaves trifoliate, aromatic, and alternate. Leaflets are ovate-lanceolate. Lateral leaflets are sub sessile and terminal long petioled. Flowers are greenish white, found in axillary panicles. Fruits are globose woody berry with yellow pulp. Seeds are numerous, oblong and embedded in pulp.
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
Plant pacifies vitiated kapha, vata, body pain, poison, diarrhea, dysentery, vomiting, and intermittent fever. Pulp of unripe fruit is constipating whereas that of ripened fruit is laxative. Leaves cure diabetes, cough, inflammation and asthma.
Useful part : Leaves, Root, Fruits
Photo: Dr. Eby Abraham MD