Chusquea culeou

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Colihue)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Short description Template:Speciesbox

File:Johann Moritz Rugendas-el rapto.jpg
Mapuches using C. culeou as spear during a malón raid

Chusquea culeou, the Chilean bamboo,[1] (Template:Langx) is a species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae. An evergreen bamboo native to South America, unlike most species within the genus Chusquea, it is frost-tolerant and thus widely cultivated in temperate regions.

Distribution

It is native to the Valdivian rainforests, humid temperate forests of Chile and southwestern Argentina. Chusquea culeou is a keystone species which can control patterns of forest dynamics by impeding regeneration of tree species.[2]

Description

Growing to Script error: No such module "convert". tall by Script error: No such module "convert". broad, Chusquea culeou forms a substantial clump of greenery. It 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. Blooming occurs after variable periods, that could last 60 years. After blooming and releasing its seeds, the plant dies. The cane is straight, up to Script error: No such module "convert". 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] (confirmed 2017).[3]

References

<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

  1. a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. Veblen, TT. 1982. Growth patterns of Chusquea bamboos in the understory of Chilean Nothofagus forests and their influences in forest dynamics. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, Vol. 109, No. 4, pp. 474 487
  3. Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

External links

Template:Sister project

Template:Taxonbar