Perennial with short scaly rhizomes. Culms 24 m high and up to 1 cm in diameter, almost woody. Leaf-blades up to 60 cm long and 10 mm broad, mostly rolled, scabrid, the tip filiform. Panicle lanceolate, 30-80 cm long and 8-12 cm broad, dense, light brown. Spikelets at first narrowly lanceolate, becoming oblong, 6-9 mm long; florets 5-7, all bisexual; lower glume 2.2-3 mm long, the upper 2.6-3.2 mm long; lemmas lanceolate, 3.5-4.5 mm long, the side nerves ciliate with spreading white hairs 2 mm long, the lobes setaceous and 0.5-1 mm long; awn 1.5-2.5 mm long, recurved; callus oblong, 0.2-0.4 mm long; anthers 1.8 mm long.