Bambusa marmorea Mitford, Garden 46: 547. 1894; Arun-dinaria marmorea (Mitford) Makino; A. matsumurae Hackel; A. nana Makino; Chimonobambusa setiformis T. H. Wen; Phyllostachys marmorea (Mitford) Ascherson & Graebner.

Culms 1–1.5(–3) m, 0.5–1 cm in diam.; internodes initially green, later purple, 10–14 cm, mainly glabrous with a dark brown tomentose ring below nodes; nodes slightly prominent. Culm sheaths persistent, brown, with gray spots, longer than internodes, papery, initially sparsely hispid, margins ciliate; ligule minute; blade 2–3 mm, articulate. Leaves 2 or 3 per ultimate branch; sheath margins ciliolate; oral setae pale, 3–4 mm; ligule truncate; blade linear-lanceolate, 10–14 × 0.7–0.9 cm. Inflorescence paniculate or racemose, terminal branches subtended by several, persistent, gradually enlarged bracts. Pseudospikelets linear, 2–4 cm; florets 4–7. Glumes 1 or 2; rachilla segments 3–4 mm; lemma ovate-lanceolate, 6–7 mm, papery; palea 6–7 mm; lodicules ca. 3 mm. Anthers 3.5–4 mm. Style minute; stigmas 2. Caryopsis nutlike, ca. 5 mm. New shoots Aug–Sep.

* Hills to low mountains; 200–1500 m. Fujian, Hubei, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Zhejiang.