Chusquea culeou
| 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 species of bamboo.
Distribution
It is native to the Valdivian rainforests, humid temperate forests of Chile and southwestern Argentina.
Unlike most species within the genus Chusquea, it is frost-tolerant and thus widely cultivated in temperate regions.
Description
Chusquea culeou has hairy lanceolate leaves with 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 feature of this Chusquea is that the stems are solid, unlike most bamboos.
Cultivation
Chusquea culeou is cultivated as an ornamental plant in gardens.
This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[1]
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chusquea culeou. |