Climbing woody thorny bamboo, clambering or scandent culms to 15m, dark purple when young turning green & later yellow. Culm leaves deciduous to 265mm x 160mm, culm leaf sheaths to 145mm long, glabrous above, pubescent beneath. Foliage leaves to 120mm x 28mm, scabrid to glabrous above, 3-4 rows of prickle hairs along one edge, glabrescent beneath. Terminal inflorescence with subtending bracts, pseudo spikelets to 170mm x 5mm with bracts to 8mm x6mm, sterile lemmas to 14mm x7.5mm, 6-17 fertile florets with lemmas to 24mm x 10mm. Fruit to 7mm x 1.25mm with persistent style.