Editing Aegle marmelos

{| class="wikitable" style="float: right; width: 320px; margin-left: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 1em;"
|-
! colspan="2" style="background: #e8e8e8;" | Bael (''Aegle marmelos'')
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | [[File:Aegle marmelos fruit 06.JPG|250px|Aegle marmelos fruit.]]
|-
! Scientific name
| ''Aegle marmelos''
|-
! Common names
| Bael; Bengal quince
|-
! Genus
| [[Aegle]]
|-
! Family
| [[Rutaceae]]
|-
! Order
| [[Sapindales]]
|-
! Fruit type
| Berry with a hard, woody rind
|-
! Growth form
| Slow-growing deciduous shrub or tree
|-
! Native range
| Indian Subcontinent; native in Assam, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and West Himalaya
|-
! Mature height
| 10–15 m
|-
! Climate and site
| Tropical and subtropical; seasonally dry conditions support flowering and fruiting
|-
! Soil and water
| Rich, well-drained soil preferred; tolerant of poor, alkaline, stony, and seasonally wet soils
|-
! Sun and humidity
| Sunny sites; warm climates with a seasonal dry interval
|-
! Propagation
| Seed; budding and other vegetative methods for selected plants
|-
! Years to fruit
| Variable by propagation method, selection, and growing conditions
|-
! Harvest
| Timing varies with climate and locality; harvest at full fruit maturity
|}

Bael, also called Bengal quince, is the deciduous fruit tree ''Aegle marmelos'' in the citrus family [[Rutaceae]]. GBIF accepts ''Aegle marmelos'' as a species in the genus [[Aegle]] and order [[Sapindales]].<sup id="cite_ref-1">[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup> Its native range is the Indian Subcontinent, and Kew records it as native to Assam, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and the West Himalaya.<sup id="cite_ref-2">[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

== Description ==
Bael is a slow-growing, usually deciduous shrub or tree that can reach about 10–15 m. Older branches may carry stout spines, while young shoots and basal suckers can be especially spiny. The leaves are aromatic and divided into three or five leaflets; new foliage may be glossy and pinkish-maroon.<sup id="cite_ref-3">[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

Fragrant flowers occur in clusters on young branchlets. The round, pear-shaped, oval, or oblong fruit is commonly 5–20 cm across, with a hard woody rind in some forms. Inside are aromatic orange pulp, segments, and seeds enclosed in adhesive mucilage; fruit form, rind texture, pulp quality, and seed number vary substantially among seedlings and selections.<sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

== Cultivation ==
Bael is adapted to tropical and subtropical conditions and is notably tolerant of heat, drought, and poor sites. It grows wild in dry forests on hills and plains as well as mixed deciduous and dry dipterocarp forest, while cultivated trees are grown for fruit in South Asia and elsewhere.<sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup> A pronounced dry season is associated with better flowering and fruiting in some regions, so a continuously wet climate may produce foliage without dependable crops.<sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

=== Soil and water ===
Rich, well-drained soil supports vigorous growth, but bael also tolerates poor, alkaline, stony, and seasonally wet soils. Reported successful soil reactions range from approximately pH 5 to 8.<sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup> Good drainage is useful where soil remains wet for long periods, even though the species tolerates difficult ground.

=== Sun and humidity ===
Choose a sunny site with enough room for a spreading tree. The species occurs in seasonally dry woodland and tolerates a broad temperature range, including hot subtropical summers; warm conditions and open light are preferable for fruit production.<sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup> Where the local climate has a pronounced wet and dry cycle, preserve the naturally drier interval rather than maintaining constantly wet conditions.

=== Seasonal changes ===
Flowering and fruiting calendars vary with climate and locality. In regions where bael is grown under a pronounced dry season, the seasonal change is associated with more reliable flowering and fruiting than continuously wet conditions.<sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup> Established trees tolerate drought, but young trees and trees carrying a crop still require site-appropriate water management during prolonged dry weather.

== Propagation ==
Bael is commonly raised from seed. Seedling offspring vary in tree form, fruit size, rind texture, pulp quality, and seed number, so seed is not a reliable way to reproduce a superior fruit type.<sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

Budding onto seedling rootstocks is used to multiply selected plants. Root cuttings, stem cuttings treated with rooting hormone, air-layering, and root suckers are also reported, but success depends on method and conditions.<sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

== Flowering, fruiting, and harvest ==
The flowers are fragrant and appear in clusters on young branchlets. Fruit shape, rind texture, pulp quality, and seed number vary among seedlings and selections, so harvest timing and handling should be judged for the individual selection rather than by a single universal calendar.<sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

== Fruit and uses ==
Ripe bael pulp is aromatic, sweet, resinous, and sometimes astringent. It is eaten fresh or diluted into a drink, and it is processed into preserves, sweets, squash, and dried products. Hard-rinded fruit may need to be opened with a tool. Fruit quality differs widely: some selections have thin rinds, fine pulp, few seeds, and pleasant flavor, while wild or seedling fruit may be more astringent and seedy.<sup id="cite_ref-4">[[#cite_note-4|[4]]]</sup>

Bael has longstanding cultural and medicinal associations in South Asia, but traditional use is not a medical treatment claim or a safety guarantee for concentrated preparations. Ordinary food uses and medicinal preparations should not be treated as interchangeable.<sup>[[#cite_note-4|[4]]]</sup>

== Photos ==
[[File:Aegle marmelos plant.jpg|280px|Aegle marmelos plant.]]

== References ==
* <span id="cite_note-1"></span>[[#cite_ref-1|↑]] '''[1]''' [https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/match?name=Aegle%20marmelos GBIF species match: Aegle marmelos].

* <span id="cite_note-2"></span>[[#cite_ref-2|↑]] '''[2]''' [https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:770819-1 Plants of the World Online: Aegle marmelos].

* <span id="cite_note-3"></span>[[#cite_ref-3|↑]] '''[3]''' [https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Aegle+marmelos Useful Tropical Plants: Aegle marmelos].

* <span id="cite_note-4"></span>[[#cite_ref-4|↑]] '''[4]''' [https://www.growables.org/information/TropicalFruit/BaelMorton.htm Julia F. Morton, Fruits of Warm Climates: Bael Fruit].

== Image credits ==
* [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aegle_marmelos_fruit_06.JPG Aegle marmelos fruit 06.JPG] — Forestowlet; own work; Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. The file page identifies the subject as Aegle marmelos fruit.
* [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aegle_marmelos_plant.jpg Aegle marmelos plant.jpg] — Vijayanrajapuram; own work; Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International. The file page identifies the subject as an Aegle marmelos plant.

[[Category:Fruits]]
[[Category:Rutaceae]]
[[Category:Aegle]]