Culms ca. 3 m, ca. 1.2 cm in diam.; internodes purple-green with dense minute purple specks especially at both ends, to 16 cm, initially white powdery below nodes; nodal ridge elevated, more prominent than sheath scar; sheath scar initially white setose. Culm sheaths papery, ± speckled, scabrous between veins, sometimes strigose especially toward apex, base fringed with white setae, auricles and oral setae absent; ligule dark purple, arcuate, narrow, strongly prominent at middle, to 5 mm, apex usually erose, ciliate; blade reflexed, pale purple-yellow, narrowly lanceolate to linear. Branches 2 per node, usually with a 3rd much smaller branch. Leaves 2 or 3 per ultimate branch; auricles and oral setae absent; ligule arcuate, 1–3 mm, minutely ciliate; blade linear-lanceolate, 7.5–9.5 × 0.8–1 cm, abaxially proximally pubescent along midrib. Inflorescence not known. New shoots Apr.

* Cultivated. Hunan.