Rhizome neck 3–20 cm, 0.7–2 cm in diam.; internodes 1–10 mm. Culms 2–4.5 m, 6–12 mm in diam.; internodes 12–15 (–20) cm, initially usually glaucous and white powdery, longitudinal ribs obscure; nodes initially purple; ridge and sheath scar prominent; culm solid or nearly so, cavity with lamellate pith. Branches 5–17 per node, secondary branches undeveloped. Culm sheaths yellowish brown, narrowly triangular, thinly leathery, longitudinal ribs conspicuous, very sparsely yellow-brown setose; auricles and oral setae absent; ligule arcuate, 1–3 mm, glabrous, uniformly fissured; blade reflexed, linear-lanceolate, glabrous. Leaves 3–5 per ultimate branch; sheath margins yellow-brown ciliolate; auricles and oral setae absent; ligule truncate or arcuate, 1–1.5 mm, glabrous; blade lanceolate, 7–13 × 0.5–1.2 cm, secondary veins 3-or 4-paired, transverse veins undeveloped, base cuneate, one margin spinescent-serrulate, other margin obscure. Inflorescence unknown. New shoots Jul–Sep.