Culms ca. 5 m, to 1.5 cm in diam.; internodes terete, ca. 33 cm, glabrous; nodes slightly prominent, glabrous; root thorns dense, robust. Culm sheaths deciduous, striate, acuminate, longer than internodes, leathery, initially densely appressed tawny setose (setae ca. 1 mm), margin ciliate, apex truncate, ca. 8 mm wide; auricles absent; oral setae deciduous, to 2 cm; ligule truncate, ca. 2 mm, with fimbriae 2–5 mm; blade recurved, linear-lanceolate, 7–10 × ca. 0.35 cm. Leaves 2–4 per ultimate branch; sheaths ciliate; auricles absent or inconspicuous; oral setae several, ca. 1 cm; ligule truncate, pubescent; blade narrowly lanceolate, ca. 14 × 1 cm, apex finely pointed, tip to 8 mm. Inflorescence unknown. New shoots Jun–Jul.