Plants rather slender, 60--100(--160) cm tall, basally with brown, reticulate fibers formed from disintegrated sheaths. Petiole to 10 cm; leaf blade oblong-lanceolate or narrowly oblong-elliptic, 25--32 × 1--4(--8) cm, glabrous, base cuneate, apex long acuminate. Panicle with 2 or 3 rather short branches, rarely with branchlets, laxly flowered; rachis densely woolly; bracts 3--4 mm, pubescent marginally and abaxially. Pedicel 1--1.4 cm, ca. 2 × as long as perianth. Tepals black-purple, subobovate-oblong, 5--7 × 2--3 mm, base not clawed, margin entire. Stamens 3--4 mm. Ovary glabrous. Capsule erect, 1--1.7 × 0.5--1 cm. 2 n = 16.