Small (ca. 1 m) to subarborescent (to 15 m) bamboos. Rhizomes pachymorph, short relative to culm height, 10–30(–50) cm, with short neck. Culms unicaespitose, basally erect, apically nodding to pendulous; internodes terete, smooth or finely ridged; nodes with level or weakly prominent supra-nodal ridge, usually narrower than sheath scar. Buds ovoid to lanceolate, branch sheathing reduced. Branches initially 7–15 per node in mid-culm, above promontory, initially erect, becoming deflexed, subequal. Culm sheaths linear, rounded, or triangular; blade usually reflexed. Leaves small to medium-sized; blades glossy and thickened, or matte and delicate, transverse veins prominent. Inflorescence racemose to paniculate, compressed or open, ebracteate or branches subtended by a series of persistent, small, delicate sheaths, unilateral or not. Spikelets several flowered. Glumes (1 or)2, unequal; lemma apically obtuse or acute, mucronate to awned; palea equal to or shorter than lemma, 2-keeled, apex bifid; lodicules 3. Stamens 3; filaments free, slender; anthers yellow or purple. Style 1 or 2; stigmas 2 or 3, plumose. Caryopsis oblong to ovoid. New shoots May–Sep.