Perennial, with short scaly rhizomes. Culms erect, often solitary, 1–1.2 m tall, 2–3 mm in diam., 5–6-noded, internodes glabrous, nodes densely pubescent. Leaf sheaths sparingly tuberculate-hairy when young, glabrescent, margins ciliolate; leaf blades linear-lanceolate, 15–40 cm × 5–15 mm, densely tuberculate-hairy on both surfaces; ligule up to 0.8 mm. Panicle contracted, 30–45 cm; central axis slightly scabrid; branches slender, up to 18 cm, ascending or spreading, loosely spiculate; pedicels slightly scabrid. Spikelets 3.5–4.2 mm, purplish; glumes setose along veins; lower glume ca. 4 mm, 5-veined; upper glume 5–7-veined; lower floret staminate, equal to lower glume or slightly longer; upper floret 2–2.3 mm, lemma awned; awn geniculate with brown twisted column, ca. 3 mm; callus hairs 1/4 length of lemma. Fl. and fr. Jul–Dec.

This is a variant of Arundinella nepalensis distinguished by its sparsely setose glumes.

* Roadsides, mountain slopes; 1500–1700 m. W Yunnan.