| Chusquea culeou | |
|---|---|
| Colehual, colihues' bush in San Fabián de Alico. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| (unranked): | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Subfamily: | Bambusoideae |
| Genus: | Chusquea |
| Species: | C. culeou |
| Binomial name | |
| Chusquea culeou Desvaux. |
|
Chusquea culeou (Spanish: caña coligüe or colihue) is a gramineae perennial bush of the bamboo subfamilly that grows in the humid temperate forests of Chile and southwestern Argentina.
Its hairy lanceolate leaves have a spine on their end, and its flower is a whisk of light brown colour. The plant also produces a caryopsis fruit. After blooming and releasing its seeds, the plant dies. The cane is straight, of up to 6 metres in height, and was used by the Aboriginals for the pole of their spears. They are still used by the Mapuche people for a musical instrument known as trutruca.
A particularity of this Chusquea is that its wood is solid, differentiating from most of the bamboosoids, with hollow interiors.