Culms dimorphic; normal culms 8–10 m, 3–5 cm in diam., basally flexuose, apically slightly drooping; internodes 30–35 cm, basally slightly swollen, not white powdery, initially glabrous; lower nodes with rings of gray-white silky hairs below and above sheath scar; branching from 3rd or 4th node up, basal 1 or 2 nodes also with short aerial roots; branches 1–3 on lower nodes; branchlets of these sometimes condensed into weak thorns; branches several to many at mid-culm and upper nodes, with central 3 slightly longer and thicker. Abnormal culms (usual in potted plants) 25–50 cm, 1–2 cm in diam., internodes shortened and swollen at base, branch internodes also shortened and swollen; branches only on upper nodes, usually solitary, without thorns. Culm sheaths deciduous, obviously ribbed-striate, glabrous, apex nearly symmetrical, broadly arched or subtruncate; auricles unequal; larger auricle narrowly ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 5–6 mm; smaller auricle ovate, 3–5 mm; oral setae curved; ligule 0.5–1 mm, very shortly finely fimbriate; blade deciduous, erect or recurved, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, base slightly arched, narrowed, slightly narrower than sheath apex. Leaf sheath glabrous; ligule subtruncate, very short; auricles ovate or falcate; oral setae several, curved; blade linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, 9–18 × 1–2 cm, abaxially densely pubescent, adaxially glabrous. Pseudospikelets solitary or many clustered on each node, linear-lanceolate, slightly compressed, 3–4 cm; prophylls oval, 2.5–3 mm, 2-keeled, apex obtuse; gemmiferous bracts 1 or 2, narrowly ovate, 4–5 mm, 13–15-veined, apex acute; florets 6–8, basal 1 or 2 and apical 2 or 3 usually sterile; rachilla segments flat, 2–3 mm, apex inflated and cupular. Glumes absent or 1, ovate-elliptic, 6.5–8 mm, 15–17-veined, apex acute; lemma ovate-elliptic, 9–11 mm, glabrous, 19–21-veined, apex acute; palea nearly as long as lemma, ciliolate near apex, 4-veined between and on either side of keels, apex acuminate with a cluster of white hairs; lodicules 3, ca. 2 mm, margins long ciliate, anterior 2 slightly asymmetrical, posterior broadly elliptic. Filaments slender; anthers yellow, ca. 6 mm, apex obtuse. Ovary broadly ovoid, 1–1.2 mm, stalked, apex thickened and hairy; style very short, hairy; stigmas 3, ca. 6 mm. Fruit unknown.
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