Chusquea tonduzii is a woody bamboo belonging to the diverse genus Chusquea that contains as many as 220 species (Fisher et al. 2014). C. tonduzii grows in montane areas across the neotropics from Central to northern South America along the Pan American highway. Its vegetative reproductivity and protovines allow it to cover areas of up to 100 m2. These large clumps are packed with decomposing leaf litter. Clones sprout new shoots from 5 - 15 cm tall within 1 - 2 months. These shoots grow to 50 - 100 cm after 2 - 3 years. After these early years their growth rate slows and requires a minimum of 8 years to reach full height (Janzen 1983). When these shoots grow to heights of 3 - 8 m they begin to sprawl outward laterally, covering nearby vegetation (Clayton et al. 2006). About every fifteen years C. tonduzii flowers, seeds, and then dies (Janzen 1983).
Central and South America (Janzen 1983)
C. tonduzii grows best in natural clearings at varying elevations. These include tree fall gaps, edges of landslides, and other naturally open areas (Janzen 1983). The bamboo will also grow in areas disturbed by humans. This plant may have originally occupied high rocky cliff and peak edges. These areas had conditions of erosion and exposure that limited their growth; natural clearings and human disturbance most likely expanded its habitat (Janzen 1983).
The genus Chusquea is morphologically characterized by spikelets containing four glumes and one terminal, fertile floret without a rachilla extension. Two papilae located on subsidiary cells of the foliar stomatal complex (Fisher et al. 2014). This bamboo contains an panicle inflorescence with fertile spikelets (Clayton et al. 2006).
C. tonduziigrows in large clumps often mixed in with other species of theChusqueagenus. It may also grow with three species ofHypericumand shrubs of the Ericaceae and Compositae (Asteraceae) (Janzen 1983).
It is vegetatively reproductive with horizontal rhizomes that project as far as 30 m from the original seedling. However, after every fifteen years of growth an individual flowers and seeds just before dying (Janzen 1983). The flowers are wind pollinated. This mass flowering event where all individuals in a large clump of bamboo disperse their seeds helps avoid seed predation. The seeds are small and inconspicuous. Still many may be found by predators, but because of their vast quantity many others should be missed (Janzen 1983).
Young shoots are predated by cattle, horses, and rabbits. While the young leaves of grown adults are eaten by a small black hispine chrysomelid beetle (Janzen 1983).
