Culms 10–20 m, 3–8 cm in diam.; internodes to 40 cm, initially thinly white powdery, glabrous, with minute holes or crystalline spots (visible under 10 × lens); wall to 1 cm thick; nodal ridge as prominent as sheath scar or slightly more so. Culm sheaths cream-colored, sometimes brown or green-brown, with dense variably sized spots, thinly white powdery or glossy, glabrous; auricles and oral setae not developed; ligule dark purple, truncate or weakly arched, fringed with long purple cilia; blade reflexed, green, with orange or green-yellow margins, narrowly triangular or linear, flat or weakly crinkled. Leaves 2 or 3 per ultimate branch; sheath glabrous; auricles and oral setae usually present; ligule arcuate, commonly eroded, purple-red ciliate; blade 8–14 × 1.5–2 cm, abaxially initially pubescent especially near petiole. Inflorescence not known. New shoots May–Jun. 2n = 48*.

The flowering branchlets of this species are indicated as capitate in Fl. Taiwan (5: 729, pl. 1492–10. 1978), but as spicate in Fl. Ill. Pl. Prim. Sin. Gram. (103, f. 72. 1959). From the combination of characters of culms and culm sheaths it is suspected that the flowering branchlets of this bamboo are most likely to be spicate.

The tough, compact culms are used for building and for making paper, furniture, umbrellas, containers, and agricultural implements.

* Open forests; below 1500 m. Fujian, Taiwan [introduced in Japan].