Culms 0.7–3 m, 0.45–1 cm in diam.; internodes terete, 12–20 cm, initially densely white powdery, later basally white powdery only below nodes, initially setose; wall 1.2–2 mm thick; nodes with weakly prominent supra-nodal ridge; sheath scar prominent, initially densely yellow-brown setose with persistent remains of sheath base. Branches 3 to many, thickly white powdery below nodes. Culm sheaths persistent or gradually deciduous, triangularly narrowly rounded, shorter than internode, leathery, brown setose, especially densely so at base, margins densely brown ciliate; auricles elliptic, narrowly triangular, or falcate, small, puberulous; oral setae erect, yellow-brown, to 1.5 cm; ligule dark purple, arcuate, abaxially slightly hairy and white powdery; blade erect, triangular or linear-triangular, glabrous. Leaves 3–5 per ultimate branch; leaf sheath apically hairy; auricles small or obscure, subcircular or triangular; oral setae several, light yellow, 5–12 mm; ligule arcuate, glabrous; blade linear-lanceolate, 5–12 × 0.5–1 cm, abaxially initially pubescent, secondary veins 3–5-paired, transverse veins obscure, base cuneate, margins serrulate, apex acuminate. Inflorescence unknown. New shoots May.