Rhizome neck 4–6.5 cm. Culms 3–5 m, 1–2 cm in diam.; internodes terete, 20–30 cm, initially white powdery, glabrous, longitudinal ribs absent; wall 2.5–3.5 mm thick, pith spongy, becoming granular; supra-nodal ridges level or weakly prominent; sheath scar prominent to greatly prominent. Branches 5–15 per node; buds subcircular or elliptic, pubescent, margins ciliate. Culm sheaths deciduous, narrowly triangular, longer than internodes, proximally leathery, distally papery, densely yellow-brown setulose, longitudinal ribs prominent, margins brown setose; auricles and oral setae absent; ligule truncate, 1.5–7 mm, sparsely ciliate; blade reflexed, linear-lanceolate, proximally sparsely pilose, articulate with sheath. Leaves 3–5 per ultimate branch; sheath initially gray-yellow pubescent on ventral ridge, margins yellow-brown ciliolate; auricles and oral setae absent; ligule purple, truncate, ca. 1 mm, ciliate; blade narrowly lanceolate, 5.5–13 × 0.4–0.9 cm, abaxially proximally gray or gray-yellow pubescent, secondary veins 3- or 4-paired, transverse veins distinct, base cuneate, margins spinescent-serrulate. Inflorescence unknown. New shoots Jul.

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

* 2800–3400 m. W Sichuan.