Rhizome neck 3–9 cm, 0.4–1.2 cm in diam. Culms 1–3.3 m, 0.4–0.9 cm in diam.; internodes terete, 4–16 cm, initially densely white powdery, glabrous; wall 1–2 mm thick, pith membranous; supra-nodal ridges level or weakly prominent; sheath scar prominent. Branches 4–10 per node; buds oblong, densely gray-brown pubescent, margins light brown ciliate. Culm sheaths persistent, yellowish, narrowly triangularly rounded, much longer than internodes, thinly leathery, sparsely brown setose, rarely glabrous, longitudinal ribs prominent, margins deciduously ciliate; auricles readily deciduous, falcate; oral setae few, erect or slightly curved, light brown, 4–5 mm; ligule inclined, truncate, ca. 1.5 mm, apex fissured and with erect, light brown cilia 2–4 mm; blade reflexed, initially erect, linear or linear-lanceolate, glabrous or initially pilose proximally. Leaves 4 or 5 per ultimate branch; sheath glabrous; auricles purple or light purple-brown, ovate or elliptic; oral setae white-gray, short; ligule arcuate, ca. 1 mm, margins white-gray ciliolate; blade lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate, 2–9 × 0.4–1 cm, both surfaces glabrous, secondary veins 3- or 4-paired, transverse veins distinct, base cuneate, margins spinescent-serrulate. Inflorescence unknown. New shoots May–Jun.

This species is an important source of food for the giant panda.

* 1000–1200 m. S Shaanxi.