Culms erect, 3–8 m tall, to 2.5 cm in diam.; internodes obtusely 4-angled, 8–22 cm, sparsely coarsely scabrid, apically more densely so; nodes prominent, supra-nodal ridge raised at branching nodes, level at branchless nodes, lower nodes each with a ring of short, declined root thorns; sheath scar corky, initially with a fulvous, tomentose, minutely setose ring. Culm sheaths deciduous, shorter than internodes, papery, veins prominent, transverse veinlets purple-brown, margins ciliate; auricles, oral setae, and ligule absent; blade deciduous, subulate, 3–5 mm, articulate. Leaves 2–5 per ultimate branch; sheaths leathery, glabrous, margins apically ciliate; oral setae deciduous, erect, glabrate; ligule truncate, short, ciliate, with minute setae; pseudopetiole ca. 1.8 mm; blade elliptical to lanceolate, 8–29 × 1–2.7 cm, papery, abaxially initially pubescent, adaxially glabrous, secondary veins 4–7-paired, tertiary veins 5–7, apex acuminate. Inflorescence racemose or paniculate, terminal ones slender, glabrous, subtended by persistent, gradually enlarged bracts. Spikelets (1 or)2–4, 2–3 cm, slender; florets 2–5, basal absent to 2 rudimentary. Glumes 1–3, lanceolate, 4–5 mm; lemma green, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, subequal to palea, papery, 5–7-veined; lodicules narrowly ovate. Anthers 3.5–4 mm. Stigmas 2.
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Diffuse bamboo with extensively running rhizomes. Culm 3-6 m, dark green; nodes swollen and prominent; internodes obtusely quadrangular in cross section; lower internodes less obviously so; lowest nodes with short indurated adventitious rootlets which become spiny. Culm-sheath to 12 × 8 cm, triangular, tardily deciduous, purple with dark purplish tessellations; auricles and oral bristles 0; sheath-blades very small. Branches spreading widely and ± drooping above, sometimes purplish. Leaf-sheath with long bristles at apex. Leaf-blade 9-24 × 0.7-2 cm, narrow lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, deep green on both surfaces, tessellate, ± drooping.
A bamboo. It can be 10 m tall. The culms have prominent nodes. Mature culms are almost square in cross section. New culms are purple. The culms are 5 cm across. There are spines which curve backwards near the base.
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