Chusquea quila
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Genus: Chusquea
Species:
C. quila
Binomial name
Chusquea quila

Chusquea quila, or Spanish: quila, is a perennial bamboo that grows in the humid temperate forests of Chile and Argentina.

In contrast to most bamboos, it grows as a dense, climbing or decumbent shrub. Its aerial culms are solid, unlike most bamboos, which have hollow culms. Chusquea quila may form pure stands called quilantales occupying all the understory of a forest. Chusquea quila and whole quilantales flower every 10 to 30 years (or 18 to 20 years in some accounts).[1] The seeding that follow the flowering has been associated to mice vermin.[1]

Flour can be prepared from its seeds and its shoots are edible.[2] Chusquea quila species have been historically harvested for seed by indigenous peoples.[1] Mapuche and Pehuenche people are reported to have made flour of the seeds.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Pardo B., Oriana; Pizarro, José Luis (2014). Chile: Plantas alimentarias Prehispánicas (in Spanish) (2015 ed.). Arica, Chile: Ediciones Parina. pp. 150–152. ISBN 9789569120022.
  2. ↑ "Chusquea quila", Enciclopedia de la Flora Chilena (in Spanish), retrieved July 30, 2013
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.