Rhizome neck 6–8.5 cm. Culms 4–10 m, 1.3–3.5 cm in diam.; internodes terete, 22–45 cm, initially white powdery, glabrous; wall 4.5–8 mm thick; supra-nodal ridges level or weakly prominent; sheath scar prominent. Branches 5–15 per node, thin; buds oblong, margins yellow ciliolate. Culm sheaths deciduous, purple-brown, sometimes dark spotted, triangular, longer than internodes, leathery, sparsely appressed yellow-brown setose, longitudinal ribs prominent, margins glabrous, apex narrowly triangular; auricles absent; oral setae few, erect, yellow-brown, 2–5 mm; ligule convex, 1–1.5 mm, glabrous; blade reflexed, linear-lanceolate or linear, glabrous. Leaves 3–6 per ultimate branch; sheath glabrous; auricles absent; oral setae absent or few, erect, yellow-brown, 1–2 mm; ligule purple, truncate, ca. 0.5 mm, glabrous; blade narrowly lanceolate, 6–14 × 0.6–1.1 cm, glabrous, secondary veins 3- or 4-paired, transverse veins obscure, base cuneate, one margin spinescent-serrulate, other margin obscurely so. Inflorescence unknown. New shoots Aug.

The culms are used for weaving and for making furniture and farm tools.

* 2300–2500 m. W Yunnan.