Description from
Flora of China
Sinobambusa gibbosa McClure, Lingnan Univ. Sci. Bull. 9: 58. 1940; Indosasa gibbosa (McClure) McClure.
Culms to 5 m, to 4 cm in diam.; internodes flexuose, initially green, 40–65 cm, glaucous, glabrous; wall thick, cavity pith thin; nodes very prominent. Culm sheath obscurely spotted, shorter than internode, densely setose at base, one or sometimes both sides subglabrous, apex asymmetrical; auricles absent; oral setae sparse; ligule truncate, dentate; blade reflexed, triangular-lanceolate, slightly wrinkled, setose. Leaves 4–6 per ultimate branch; sheath glabrous; auricles weak; oral setae few, deciduous, erect; ligule short; blade linear-lanceolate, 11–22 × 2–4.5 cm, glabrous, glaucous, secondary veins 5–8-paired, one margin serrulate, other margin entire. Pseudospikelets robust, 6–12.5 × 0.7–1 cm, glabrous; florets 7–13. Palea about as long as lemma, or slightly longer; lodicules oblong. Anthers yellow. Ovary fusiform; style glabrous; stigmas 3. New shoots May, fl. Jun.
The asymmetrical culm sheath makes this species very easy to distinguish.
The culms are used in many ways as supporting poles.
Open lowlands. SW Guangxi [N Vietnam].