Climbing woody rhizomatous bamboo, culms to 3m, purplish-green when young becoming yellowish-green. Culm leaves to 65mm long with sheaths to 40mm x 8mm, hispid above & fimbriate at summit. Foliage leaf sheaths hispid becoming glabrous, glabrous foliage leaves to 45mm x 4.5mm, glabrous both surfaces with tuft of hairs at tip. Coflorescences to 40mm long with one subtending bract, purple spikelets to 16mm x 4mm, lower glumes to 2.5mm x 0.8mm, upper glumes to 3mm x 1.8mm. lemmas to 4.5mm x 2.5mm.