About Chusquea culeou É.Desv.
Chusquea culeou É.Desv. grows to 8 m (26 ft) tall and 200–350 mm (0.66–1.15 ft) broad, forming a substantial clump of greenery. Unlike most bamboos, this Chusquea species has solid stems. Its straight canes reach up to 6 m (20 ft) in height. It bears hairy, lanceolate leaves that end in a spine. Its inflorescence is a light brown panicle (whisk-like structure), and the plant produces a caryopsis fruit. Blooming happens after variable intervals that can last up to 60 years, and the plant dies after blooming and releasing its seeds. Historically, Aboriginal peoples used the cane for spear poles. The Mapuche people still use its canes to make a musical instrument called the trutruca. It is native to the Valdivian rainforests and humid temperate forests of Chile and southwestern Argentina. It is a keystone species in these habitats, where it can control patterns of forest dynamics by impeding the regeneration of tree species. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant for gardens, and has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit (confirmed 2017).
