Rhizome neck to 70 cm; internodes solid. Culms 4–7 m, 1–2 cm in diam.; internodes purple spotted when dry, terete, 32–45 cm, solid or nearly so, glabrous; supra-nodal ridge level or weakly prominent; sheath scar prominent, initially yellow-brown setose. Branches many. Culm sheaths persistent, triangularly narrowly rounded, 1/2–3/5 as long as internodes, leathery, prominently longitudinally ribbed, densely brown to dark brown setose, margins densely yellow-brown setulose; auricles absent; oral setae few, gradually deciduous, erect, yellow, 2–6 mm; ligule truncate or arcuate, ca. 1 mm, initially ciliate, later slightly fissured; blade reflexed, linear-lanceolate, glabrous, margins serrulate. Leaves 4–6 per ultimate branch; sheaths sometimes gray-brown setose; auricles absent; oral setae few, erect, brown, 3–5 mm; ligule truncate, glabrous; blade lanceolate, 5–15 × 0.6–1.2 cm, abaxially sparsely gray pubescent, secondary veins 3-or 4-paired, transverse veins distinct, base cuneate, margins spinescent-serrulate, apex acuminate. Inflorescence unknown. New shoots Aug.