Culms to 7–8 m or more, 3–4 cm in diam.; internodes initially green, with inconspicuous yellow stripes, white powdery, glabrous; nodes initially purple-green, moderately raised, nodal ridge as prominent as sheath scar. Culm sheaths pale red-brown, with dense, small, brown spots basally and apically, thinly white powdery, glabrous throughout even on margins, margins distally red-brown; auricles and oral setae absent; ligule dark purple-brown, arcuate or subtruncate, ciliolate, with fragile bristles; blade reflexed, green, with yellow margins, narrowly lanceolate to linear, distally crinkled. Leaves 2 or 3 per ultimate branch; auricles absent; oral setae absent or 2 or 3; ligule usually exserted, arcuate or truncate; blade to 15 × 2 cm, abaxially deciduously pubescent. Inflorescence not known. New shoots late Mar–Apr. 2n = 48*.

* Cultivated. Anhui, Zhejiang.