Rhizome neck 18–60 cm. Culms 1.5–2 m, 5–10 mm in diam.; internodes terete, 15–28 cm, initially densely white powdery, apically sparsely white or yellow-brown setose; wall 2–4 mm thick; nodes with level supra-nodal ridge; sheath scar prominent, initially light yellow setulose. Branches 7 or 8, nearly solid. Culm sheath gradually deciduous, green or purple striped, nearly as long as internodes or longer, conspicuously longitudinally ribbed, leathery, sparsely light yellow setose, margins initially ciliolate; auricles small; oral setae 3–6, yellow-brown, curved, 3–8 mm; ligule purple, truncate, ca. 1 mm, apically puberulous; blade revolute or rarely erect, linear-lanceolate, margins serrulate, rolled when dry. Leaves 2–4 per ultimate branch; sheath margins yellow-brown ciliate; auricles absent; oral setae present, 1–2.5 mm; ligule truncate, ca. 1 mm, glabrous; blade lanceolate, 4.5–8.5 × 0.5–0.9 cm, glabrous, secondary veins 3-or 4-paired, transverse veins well-defined, base cuneate, margins spinescent-serrulate or one margin smooth. Inflorescence racemose. Spikelets 3–5, 2.7–4 cm; rachilla ca. 4 mm, apex pubescent; florets 5–9, dark purple. Glumes 2, unequal, slightly hairy apically; lemma hairy, apex mucronate or acuminate. Palea bifid, keels ciliate. Lodicules 3, margins fimbriate. Anthers yellow. Ovary fusiform; styles 2–4, very short; stigma plumose; caryopsis unknown. New shoots Jun–Jul.
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