Edible: Fruit, Leaves
A small deciduous tree. It grows 4-15 m tall. It has many slender branches. The branches have straight spines 4 cm long. It has thorns. The needle like spines are 3-8 cm long. The leaves are up to 12 cm long. The leaves are made up of leaflets with a leaflet at the end. There are 2-3 pairs of opposite leaflets. They are 4 cm long. They have oil glands and a slight smell when crushed. They smell of aniseed. The flowers are small. They have 5 petals. The anthers are large and brown. The flowers are white, greenish or purple. They occur in lax flower arrangements either in the axils or at the end of branches. The fruit has a hard shell. It is round and 10 cm across. The pulp is soft and red. It is edible. There are many seeds. The seeds are 5-6 mm long and hairy. It is brown when ripe. Fruit size and sweetness vary.
It is a tropical and subtropical plant. It grows in monsoonal or seasonally dry climates in the tropics. It is common on the drier Deccan in India. It grows up to 1500 m altitude. It needs a fertile, well-drained soil. It needs full sun. It grows in drier regions. It can tolerate some salinity. It grows up to 450 m altitude in the western Himalayas. It suits hardiness zones 9-12.
Common Names: Bela, Belingei, Belinggai, Bilin, Bilva, Can thang, Dimbul, Diwul, Divul, Elephant's apple, Gelinggai, Indian wood apple, Jool, Kabut, Kaint, Kait, Kaith, Kaitha, Kapittha, Katbel, Kath bel, Kavath, Kavatha, Kavit, Kavith, Kavitha, Kawat, Kawath, Kawista, Kawoth, Kayeth bael, Keiri, Kodbel, Koethbel, Kotha, Kothi, Kothun, Kovit, Kramsang, Kusta, Kutbel, Kvoet, Kwet, Mak-pyen-sum, Ma sang, Mafit, Makhwit, Pohon buah kinco, Thi, Thibin, Vakandra, Velaga, Velaga pandu, Velambalam, Vila, Vilanga, Vilatti, Villa, Villati
Synonyms:
Anisifolium limonia Kuntze;
Crateva balangas K. D. Koenig;
Crateva vallanga Koenig;
Feronia balanghas (K. D. Koenig) Steud.;
Feronia elephantum Correa;
Feronia limonia (L.) Swingle;
Hesperethusa acidissima M. Roem.;
Hesperethusa ambigua M. Roem.;
Limonia elephantum (Correa) Panigrahi;
Limonia pinnatifolia Houtt.;
Murraya odorata Blanco;
Schinus limonia L.;