Culms 10–18 m, 10–13 cm in diam.; internodes becoming orange, 46–56 cm; wall 1–2.5 cm thick. Branches several, sometimes 1 branch dominant. Culm sheaths deciduous, leathery, very densely dark brown velvety; auricles reflexed, broad, 0.5–2 × 0.2–0.5 cm; oral setae orange, curved, long; ligule ca. 5 mm, serrulate; blade strongly deflexed, 10–18 cm. Leaf sheaths appressed white hairy; auricles and oral setae prominent; ligule ca. 1 mm; blade variable, 15–30 × 3.8–7 cm. Pseudospikelet clusters ca. 4 cm in diam. Spikelets lanceolate, 1.2–1.8 cm; florets 2 or 3. Glumes 3 or 4, ovate; lemma ovate, margins ciliate, apex acute or mucronate; palea keels ciliate, many veined. Anthers apiculate at apex. Ovary spherical. Caryopsis obovoid, apex beaked.

100–600 m. S Yunnan [Bhutan, India (Sikkim)].