Culms caespitose, basally erect, apically drooping, to 3–5 m, 5–10(–15) mm in diam.; internodes 12–18(–23) cm, glabrous, hollow; wall 3–5(–7) mm thick; nodes with 3 bud groups, 2 lateral developing into sub-branches and center 1 developing into main branch. Culm sheaths needle-like, narrowly triangular, asymmetrical, ca. 22 cm, thinly leathery, base ca. 3.5 cm wide, apex ca. 1 mm wide, apex truncate; auricles absent; ligule ca. 1 mm, ciliate; blade readily deciduous, erect, linear, 1.5–2 cm. Leaves 5–11 per ultimate branch; sheaths smooth, margins ciliate; auricles falcate or subcircular; oral setae projecting, purple ciliate; ligule round-arched, margins purple ciliate; blades narrowly lanceolate, (4.5–)11–17 × 0.7–1.5 (–3.1) cm, abaxially tomentose. Inflorescence unknown. New shoots Sep–Oct.