Rhizome neck 5–9 cm. Culms 4–6 m, 2–3 cm in diam.; internodes terete, 35–40 cm, initially white powdery, glabrous or setose below node, gray waxy when old; wall 2–3 mm thick; supra-nodal ridges level or weakly prominent; sheath scar prominent. Branches many per node. Culm sheaths persistent, triangularly narrowly rounded, shorter than internode, leathery, thinly white powdery, densely adnately brown setose, margins initially brown ciliate, apex triangular; auricles absent or present; oral setae present; ligule truncate or arcuate, 1–2 mm, glabrous, irregularly fissured; blade reflexed, linear-lanceolate, glabrous. Leaves 3–5 per ultimate branch; sheath thinly white powdery, glabrous; auricles absent; oral setae present; ligule brown-purple, arcuate, margins ciliate; blade linear-lanceolate, 10–15 × 0.9–1.4 cm, abaxially pubescent, secondary veins 3–5-paired, transverse veins obscure, base cuneate, one margin spinescent-serrulate, other margin obscurely so. Inflorescence a raceme, terminal to leafy shoot; spikelets 7–9, 1.7–2.7 cm, rachilla 3–4 mm, pilose; florets 3–7. Glumes 2, slightly pilose, papery; lemma glabrous, apex acuminate; palea keels and apices ciliolate; lodicules ciliate. Anthers yellow. Ovary ovoid, glabrous; style 1; stigmas 2. Caryopsis unknown. New shoots May.

The shoots are edible and are a source of food for the giant panda. The culms are used for weaving and papermaking.

* About 2000 m. W Sichuan.