Arborescent bamboos, large-sized; clumps dense. Rhizomes short necked, pachymorph. Culms unicaespitose, erect, pendulous at apex; internodes green initially, often with yellow stripes, terete. Branches several, 1 dominant. Culm sheaths deciduous, very broad, densely hairy; ligule conspicuous; auricles absent or small; blade recurved or erect. Leaves usually large, base cuneate; auricles usually absent; ligule conspicuous; blade cuneate at base, venation not tessellate. Inflorescence iterauctant, fully bracteate, subtended by a narrow single-keeled prophyll, pseudospikelets clustered in soft or spiky globose mass at nodes of leafless flowering branches. Pseudospikelets sessile, prophyllate; florets (1 or)2–5, with a sterile terminal floret with lemma only, sessile. Fertile glumes preceded by 1 or more gemmiferous bracts and 0–2 empty glumes; rachilla very short, obscure, not disarticulating; lemma broad, many veined; palea strongly 2-keeled; lodicules absent. Stamens 6; filaments united into a firm tube; anthers apiculate. Ovary stalked, apex thickened and hairy; stigma 1, long, hairy, plumose. Caryopsis terete, apex hairy; pericarp slightly thickened. 2n = 76*.

There are several to possibly many further entities not yet properly identified, some of which might represent new taxa.

"Gigantochloa menlunenesis" (B. Wen, J. Bamboo Res. 20(2): 10. 2001) was not validly published because no type was indicated.

About 30 species: tropical Asia; six species (two endemic) in China.

(Authors: Li Dezhu (李德铢); Chris Stapleton)