Densely tufted, sympodial bamboo. Culm is erect with slightly nodding tip, 6—10 m tall, diameter 3—5 cm near the base, wall 4—5 mm thick, glabrous, when young thinly covered with white wax; internodes 30—36 cm long, not swollen; nodes slightly swollen, lowermost 1—2 nodes with a ring of greyish silky hairs above the sheath scar. Branches frequently from the basal 1st or 2nd node upwards, branch complement few to many, with the primary branch dominant, thornless. Leaf blade lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, 10—18 cm x 1—2 cm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent toward the base above, densely soft-hairy beneath; auricles developed or lacking, narrowly ovate or falcate, bearing straight or curled bristles along the edge. Inflorescence borne on long leafless branches, consisting of groups of pseudospikelets, scattered along the branches; spikelet 2—5 cm x 2—3 mm, greenish yellow or with a purple hue, bearing 2—5 perfect florets and above these 1—2 reduced florets. Caryopsis terete, slightly curved, 8 mm x 1.5 mm, thickened and hairy at the apex.

PROSEA (Plant Resources of South-East Asia) Foundation

Used for treating febrile diseases, haematuria, epistaxis and infantile epilepsy (shavings of the culm cortex)