Chusquea culeou
Chusquea culeou É. Desv. in Gay, Fl. Chil. 6, 1853: 450.
Distribution: THAILAND: Introduced, but there is no known record of whether this species has been successfully kept in cultivation in Thailand. — Southern CHILE to southwestern ARGENTINA.
Description: KewScience Plants of the World Online.
Flowering cycle: 12…62 years [#1320].
Seed viability: Unknown, it has been argued that viability may extend for 1 year under cool storage.
Specimen: BS-0753 [-] (living plants), raised from seeds from Chile, without precise locality. Seeds received from C. F. M. B. as "Chusquea coleou", 21 May 2012.
Seed weight: Not recorded.
Seed germination: Seeds laid on moistened tissue paper and in coir dust at 100%, in late May, 28–31 °C day temperature, diffuse light, 22–24 °C night temperature, atmospheric humidity >70%, the first coleoptiles of Chusquea culeou emerged after 27 days, germination rate low. None of the seeds showed any signs of fungal infection.
Comments:
(1) Cultivation under tropical and subtropical climates is delicate; the species might do well in Thailand if grown at altitudes above 900 m.
(2) In 2014, there was an attempt to establish the species in cultivation in the mountainous region of the Doi Saket District, Chiang Mai Province, at about 500 m altitude, but the results have not been known so far.
(3) All seedlings have been distributed in northern Thailand, but the current locations of the cultivated plants are unknown.
Chusquea culeou (BS-0753): Seeds (left), germinating seed, 27th day (center), young seedling, 59th day (right)
Specimen: BS-0770 [SSG] (living plants), raised from seeds. The seeds offered by B. G. N. B., Oregon, USA, as "Chusquea culeou", collected in 2012 (from a cultivated flowering plant in Oregon), received 1 Feb. 2013, the plant originated from Aisen, southern Chile, coll. 1997.
Photos: BambooGarden.
Seed weight: 1.0 g ≈ 90–100 dried spikelets (husk-wrapped seeds).
Seed germination: Not recorded.
Chusquea culeou (BS-0770): Seeds
Specimen: BS-0782-30 [SSG] (living plants), raised from seeds of unrecorded origin; the seeds were possibly from the USA. Seeds received from M. S. as "Chusquea culeou", 27 Oct. 2013.
Seed weight: Not recorded.
Seed germination: Seeds were laid on moistened tissue paper on 29 Oct. 2013, night temperature range 9–22 °C, day temperature range 18–28 °C, diffuse light, atmospheric humidity >70%, the first sprout emerged after 19 days, the last after 48 days; germination rate about 35% by 2 Dec., and 70% by 16 Dec. 2013 (test 131029).
Comments: All seedlings were distributed in northern Thailand, but the current locations of the cultivated plants are unknown.
Chusquea culeou (BS-0782-30): Seeds germinating, 31st day
Chusquea culeou (BS-0782-30): Seedlings, three and a half months old