Arborescent bamboos, moderately sized; clumps very dense. Rhizomes short necked, pachymorph. Culms unicaespitose, erect; internodes terete. Branches several to many, 1 dominant. Culm sheaths persistent, thickly papery; ligule short; auricles absent or small without bristles; blade recurved or erect, triangular. Leaf sheath blade small to moderate-sized; ligule short; auricles absent. Inflorescence iterauctant, fully bracteate, comprising a cluster of 1–3 fertile pseudospikelets and 1 or 2 sterile ones subtended by a spathiform 2-keeled prophyll, sessile upon a branch node. Pseudospikelets with prophyll, 1–3 florets plus a fertile terminal one and a rachilla extension, falling together, not disarticulating; rachilla hairy. Glumes 2–4; lemma papery; palea 2-cleft for ca. 1/3 of its length; lodicules absent to 3, ciliate. Stamens 6, long exserted; anthers apiculate. Ovary turbinate, stalked; style long; stigmas 1–3, feathery. Caryopsis terete, smooth, glabrous, with persistent style base. 2n = 76*.

Two species: China, Myanmar, Thailand; two species in China.

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