Culms 6–8 m, 4(–8) cm in diam.; internodes initially purple-brown, yellow when old, slightly 4-angled, 20–30 cm, initially scabrous, glabrous when old; nodes prominent, glabrous. Culm sheaths distally attenuate and triangular, longer than internode, leathery, with thick, glossy, tawny hairs, apex 2–4 cm wide, centrally strongly convex or projected, slightly projected on 2 sides; auricles tiny; oral setae several, long; ligule 3–4 mm; blade lanceolate, 5–17 × 1.3–2.5 cm. Leaves 4–8 per ultimate branch; sheaths glabrous; auricles absent or tiny; oral setae ca. 8 mm; ligule truncate, ca. 1 mm; blade linear-lanceolate, 10–16 × 0.6–1.3 cm. Inflorescence a panicle, terminal to leafy shoot. Spikelets 2.7–4.5 cm; florets 5–8, plus a terminal, sterile floret. Glumes 2; rachilla internodes flattened, 4–6 mm, densely pubescent; lemma lanceolate, 0.7–1 cm, papery; palea equal to or slightly longer than lemma; lodicules obovate, one shorter and narrower. Anthers ca. 6 mm. Style short; stigmas 2. Caryopsis unknown. New shoots Jun–Jul, fl. Mar–Apr.

The shoots are eaten, and the culms are used for construction.

* Evergreen broad-leaved forests; 1400–2000 m. S Yunnan (Jinping).