Culms 5–12 m, 2–5 cm in diam.; internodes usually blue-green, to 40 cm, initially white powdery; wall ca. 3 mm thick; nodal ridge nearly equaling or slightly more prominent than sheath scar. Culm sheaths purple-brown or green-brown, usually alternating with pale and darker stripes, with sparse small brown spots or cloudy brown blotches, margins usually dark brown; auricles and oral setae absent; ligule dark purple brown, truncate, 2–3 mm, margin ciliolate; blade spreading to reflexed, purple-green with yellow margins, linear-lanceolate to linear, flat or sometimes weakly crinkled. Leaves 2 or 3 per ultimate branch; auricles and oral setae deciduous; ligule purple-brown; blade 7–16 × 1.2–2.5 cm, abaxially proximally pilose. Flowering branchlet spicate, to 11 cm, subtended by 3–5 scaly bracts gradually larger; spathes 5–7, glabrous or pilose on one flank, oral setae sometimes weakly developed; blade narrowly lanceolate to subulate. Pseudospikelets 2–4 per spathe, usually 1 or 2 fertile; bracts subtending lateral pseudospikelets, lanceolate, apex puberulent. Spikelets narrowly lanceolate, ca. 2.5 cm; florets 1 or 2, upper one sterile. Glumes 1 or 2; rachilla densely puberulent, extending awnlike beyond uppermost floret; lemma ca. 2 cm, keels usually puberulent; lodicules ca. 4 mm. Anthers ca. 1.2 cm. Stigmas 2. New shoots Apr–May, fl. Jun. 2n = 48*.

The culms are used for weaving and making furniture, containers, handicraft items, tool handles, and shelters.

* Anhui, Henan, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Yunnan, Zhejiang.