Perennial. Culms tufted, robust, up to 2.5 m tall, 3–5 mm in diam., nodes glabrous. Leaf sheaths glabrous; leaf blades linear, up to 60 × 0.5–1.2 cm; ligule ca. 1.5 mm. Spathate compound panicle very large, open, 80–180 cm, branches lax, drooping, spathes not densely clustered; spatheoles reddish at maturity; racemes 3–4 cm; rachis internodes and pedicels ciliate on margins; pedicel of homogamous pair not swollen. Sessile spikelet elliptic, 7–9 mm; lower glume flat, sharply 2-keeled throughout, keels broadly winged above middle, 2–5-veined between keels; upper lemma awned; awn ca. 1.2 cm. Pedicelled spikelet linear-lanceolate. Fl. and fr. Sep.