(species Aegle marmelos), fruit of the bel tree of the family Rutaceae, found wild or cultivated throughout India. The trees bear strong spines; alternate, compound leaves, each with three leaflets; and panicles of sweet-scented white flowers. The tree is valued for its fruit, which is oblong to pyriform in shape and 50–250 mm (2–10 inches) in diameter. The fruit has a gray or yellow rind and a sweet, thick, orange-coloured pulp. The unripe fruit, sliced and sun dried, is traditionally used as a remedy for dysentery; (dysentery) the ripe fruit is sweet, aromatic, and cooling. The bel tree's wood is yellowish white and hard but not durable.