iEGLE MARMELOS. (Nat. ord. Eutacese.) 



-^EGLE, Coma. — GEN. CHAE. Flowers hermathrodite, calyx small 4-5 toothed deciduous, petals 4-5 oblongo-lanceolate patent imbricate. 

 Stamens numerous, filaments short subulate, anthers elongate erect, disk inconspicuous, ovary oyoid 3-15 celled attenuated into a short style, stigma oblong 

 deciduous, ovules many in each cell in 2 rows, berry globose, rind woody, 8-15 celled, cells many seeded replete with mucous juice, seed oblong compressed, 

 testa woolly and covered with slime. Trees, spinose, leaves 3-foliate, leaflets slightly crenulate, pellucidly punctate, panicles axillary few-flowered, flowers 

 rather large white, fruit large, pulp edible. 



-^EgLE MaKMELOS. (Corr.) A good sized tree, trunk pretty erect, bark ash-colored, branches few and irregular, 

 spines axillary single or in pairs, or wanting, very sharp and strong, leaves trifoliate (rarely pinnate with 5 leaflets 1 ), leaflets glabrous 

 or pubescent oblong or broad lanceolate attenuated to a blunt point, inconspicuously crenulate, the exterior one always the largest, panicle 

 small terminal and axillary, flowers, &c. as in the generic character, fruit about the size of a cricket ball round and very hard. Roxb. 

 Fl. Ind. ii. p, 579. 



This is the well known Bel tree, it is common in a cultivated state throughout India, and is met with wild in many of our subalpine 

 forests, but the wild variety has afar inferior fruit (one variety on the Denhinacottah hills, Salem, has densely pubescent foliage J ; it is called 



■Bel in Hindustani, Vilva in Tamil, and Maredu in Teligu ; it aseendsthe mountains to about 4000 feet. The wood is light colored and variegated, 

 compact and hard, but it is seldom cut for timber. In the Godavery forests ihenative drum is often made from it, and in some parts it is used 



■ for the naves of wheels and sugar crushers ; the juice of the fruit makes a delicious sherbat, and is much drunk in Bengal as a hot weather- 

 beverage, it has aperient and detersive properties, and is considered a most useful drink in diarrhaza and dysentery, as it also acts as an astringent ; 

 the bark and root also are in use medicinally with the natives. 



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