Rhizome neck ca. 50 cm; internodes solid. Culms 4–5 m, 1–2 cm in diam.; internodes terete, 32–45 cm, thickly white powdery below nodes, distally sparsely gray setulose, solid or nearly so; supra-nodal ridge weakly prominent; sheath scar prominent. Branches 8–13, deflexed. Culm sheaths persistent, narrowly rounded-triangular, ca. 1/2 as long as internodes, leathery, sparsely brown setose, margins apically yellow-brown setulose; auricles absent or small; oral setae deciduous; ligule truncate or convex, ca. 1 mm; blade deciduous, linear-lanceolate, glabrous, revolute. Leaves 2–4 per ultimate branch; sheath initially white powdery, glabrous; auricles absent; oral setae present; ligule truncate or convex, ca. 1 mm; blade lanceolate, 7.2–19 × (1.2–)1.5–2 cm, glabrous, secondary veins 4-or 5-paired, transverse veins conspicuous, base cuneate, one margin spinescent-serrulate, other margin obscure. Inflorescence paniculate. Spikelets purple-red, 2–4 cm, robust; rachilla 3.5–5 mm, apically pubescent and swollen; florets 4–10, terminal one sterile. Glumes 2, unequal, glabrous; lemma glabrous, lowermost 1–1.6 cm, apex acuminate; palea keels ciliate, apex bifid. Ovary ovoid. Caryopsis unknown. New shoots Aug.
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