Culms 2–3 m, 0.5–1 cm in diam.; internodes 15–25 cm, initially white powdery, glabrous; supra-nodal ridge more prominent than sheath scar. Culm sheaths tardily deciduous, glabrous; auricles absent; oral setae absent or few, erect; ligule weakly arcuate, less than 1 mm, margin ciliolate; blade deciduous, not seen. Leaves 2 or 3 per ultimate branch; sheath glabrous; auricles and oral setae absent; ligule exserted, obliquely arcuate, 1–1.5 mm, proximally densely puberulent, otherwise glabrous; blade linear or linear-lanceolate, ca. 15 × 1 cm, both surfaces glabrous, abaxially scabrid, apex acuminate, mucronate. Panicles with several to many spikelets, peduncle and lower branches enclosed by sheathlike bracts. Branches and pedicels slender, angles hirtellous. Spikelets to 11.5 cm; florets many; rachilla internodes ca. 1/2 as long as florets, external side and apex puberulent. Glumes 2 or 3, 1st smaller, 2nd and 3rd longer, resembling lemma; lemma ca. 1.3 cm, scabrid, 7–13-veined, apex acuminate, mucronate; palea much smaller than lemma, keels ciliate, apex exceeding keels; lodicules 3, 2–2.5 mm, ciliate, anterior 2 obliquely lanceolate, posterior narrowly lanceolate. Stamens 3; anthers ca. 4 mm. Style 1; stigmas 3. New shoots and fl. Apr–May.