Culms to 11 m, 3–5 cm in diam.; internodes to 24 cm, initially thinly white powdery or not, glabrous; nodes initially red-purple, nodal ridge more prominent than or equaling sheath scar. Culm sheaths red-brown, with brown veins and sparse spots, spots sometimes aggregated into large patch toward apex on larger sheaths, sparsely strigose, margins glabrous; auricles dark brown, oblong to ovate; oral setae to 2 cm; ligule arcuate or truncate, convex at middle, ± decurrent on both sides on large sheaths, ciliate; blade reflexed, purple, narrowly lanceolate, crinkled or sometimes nearly flat. Leaves 1 or 2 per ultimate branch; auricles absent; oral setae absent or few; ligule conspicuously exserted, 1–1.5 mm; blade 10–13 × 1.5–2 cm. Inflorescence not known. New shoots May.

* Cultivated. Jiangsu, Zhejiang.