Culms to 5 m, to 2 cm in diam.; internodes ca. 35 cm, apically glaucous; wall thick; nodes weakly prominent; sheath scar pubescent. Culm sheaths rigid, deciduously setose, base woolly, apex acute; auricles falcate; oral setae ca. 8 mm, scabrous; ligule slightly arched or nearly truncate, margin pubescent; blade erect, narrowly triangular, strongly rugose, abaxially sericeous. Leaves 3 or 4 per ultimate branch; sheath glabrous; auricles and oral setae absent; ligules prominent, ca. 2 mm, glabrous, glaucous; petiole 2–3 mm, glabrous; blade lanceolate or oblong, 11–18 × 1.4–3 cm, often glabrous, secondary veins 5–7-paired, base rounded, apex acute. Spikelets ca. 3 cm; florets 5–7. Glumes 2 or 3; lemma ca. 9 × 3 mm, apex acute; palea slightly longer than lemma, apically hairy, keels and margin ciliolate, 3-veined between keels, 2-veined beside keels; lodicules 3. Ovary glabrous; styles hispidulous; stigmas 3, plumose.