Culms to 7 m, 2–4 cm in diam.; internodes 40–60 cm, initially densely glaucous, persistent below nodes, glabrous, apically minutely papillate; nodes swollen, sheath ring corky, initially yellow-brown setose. Culm sheaths deciduous, initially gray-green, basally suboblong, leathery, densely glaucous, purple-brown setose, densely so at base, sparsely so near apex, margins dark brown ciliate or glabrous, apex broad; auricles nearly erect, dark brown, elliptic or falcate, moderately sized, coarsely hairy; oral setae yellow-brown, to 1.4 cm, fragile, scabrid; ligule arched, short, coarsely hairy, entire, ciliolate; blade lanceolate, green, papery, slightly rugose, glabrous or nearly so, margins serrulate. Leaves 3–6 per ultimate branch; sheath pubescent, soon glabrous; auricles very small; oral setae erect, light yellow, rigid, scabrid at base; ligule short, coarsely hairy; blade lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 13–19 × 1.4–2.2 cm, glabrous or abaxially slightly hairy, secondary veins 4–6-paired, sharply pointed. Inflorescence unknown. New shoots May.