Stone Apple Or Indian Bael (Aegle Marmelos) Unripe Fruits On Tree : (pix Sanjiv Shukla) Royalty-Free Stock Photography

Stone apple (Aegle marmelos) belonging to the family Rutaceae, is commonly known as bael (India), Bengal quince, golden apple, Japanese bitter orange or wood apple. It is a native tree of Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia and is considered sacred by Hindus. Fruit is globose or pear-shaped. Its rind is woody and thick. The woody shell is smooth and green, gray until it is fully ripe when it turns yellow. Fibrous yellow pulp is very aromatic and sweet, although tangy and slightly astringent in some varieties.