Culms 5–6 m, ca. 2 cm in diam.; internodes initially purple-green, becoming green or gray-green, to 25 cm, white powdery, glabrous or basal internodes slightly scabrous with minute, erect hairs on distal parts; wall ca. 4 mm thick; nodal ridge slightly more prominent than sheath scar. Culm sheaths deep to pale green, weakly tinged with purple, unmarked or more usually with distal milky-white stripes and extremely minute brown spots, white powdery, those from basal nodes sometimes pubescent; auricles usually present, green or purple-green, small or large and falcate; oral setae sometimes absent; ligule purple, arcuate or truncate, 1–2 mm, ciliate; blade erect, deep green or tinged with purple, narrowly triangular to triangular-lanceolate, flat or wavy. Leaves usually 2 per ultimate branch; auricles and oral setae usually present initially, deciduous; ligule moderately exserted; blade 7–11 × 1.2–1.6 cm. Inflorescence not known. New shoots Apr.

The culms of this very hardy species are used as tool handles and are split for weaving.

* Cultivated. Sichuan, Zhejiang.