Rhizome neck 9–16 cm. Culms ca. 3.5 m, 9–15 mm in diam.; internodes terete, 16–24 cm, initially densely white powdery, glabrous; wall 2–3 mm thick; nodes with level supra-nodal ridge; sheath scar prominent, initially yellow-brown setulose. Branches 3–7. Culm sheaths gradually deciduous, brown spotted, narrowly rounded, ca. 2/3 as long as internodes, cartilaginous, glabrous, margins gray-yellow ciliate; auricles falcate; oral setae radiating, yellow-brown or purple, 4–9 mm; ligule arcuate, 2–3 mm; blade linear-lanceolate, revolute, initially apically sparsely setulose. Leaves 1–3 per ultimate branch; leaf sheath glabrous; auricles absent; oral setae present or absent; ligule truncate or arcuate, ca. 1 mm; blade abaxially bright green, lanceolate, 3.5–9.5 × 0.4–1.1 cm, glabrous, secondary veins 3- or 4-paired, transverse veins prominent, base cuneate, one margin spinescent-serrulate, other margin obscurely so. Inflorescence paniculate; pedicels without glands. Spikelets 6–12, 2.4–4 cm; rachilla 4–5 mm, hairy, margins densely ciliate, apex swollen; florets 3–7, purple. Glumes 2, unequal; lemma purple, hairy at base, margins ciliate, apex obtuse or acuminate; palea keels ciliate. Ovary ovoid, glabrous. Caryopsis unknown. New shoots May–Jun.

The shoots are edible and are an important food for the giant panda.

* 2600–2700 m. SW Sichuan.