Perennial reed, with creeping rhizomes. Culms erect, up to 10m high. Leaf-blades 30-80 cm long and 12-40 nun wide, glabrous, rough to the touch beneath (at least in the upper half), the tips attenuate and stiff (occasionally almost smooth or with filiform tips). Panicle 30-50 cm long, 10-20 cm wide, the lowest node often many-branched in a whorl, the branches bare of spikelets for some distance from their base. Spikelets 9-12 mm long, the rhachilla-hairs 4-7 mm long, rather sparse; lower glume just over half as long as the upper; upper glume narrowly elliptic to very narrowly elliptic, 4-6 mm long, acute to subacute; lowest lemma very narrowly elliptic, 7.5-12 mm long; fertile lemmas very narrowly lanceolate, 85-11 mm long.