Syn. Pl.: 253 (1822); Ohrnberger, Bamboos World: 351 (1999)
* Woody cesitose perennial. Culms erect, 4 – 15 m tall and 2 – 5 cm wide, woody, thorny. Culm-internodes terete, thick-walled, or solid; culm sheaths glabrous or pubescent with white hairs, blade lanceolate, 2 - 9 cm long, pubescent. Leaves with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath, linear, acuminate, 13 - 27 cm long and 4 - 7 mm wide, glabrous except near base; ligule an eciliate membrane of 0.1 - 0.2 mm long.
* Inflorescence bractiferous, clustered at the nodes in untidy lax tufts.
* Spikelets linear, 5 – 13 cm long and 3 – 4 mm wide comprising 5–8 fertile florets with reduced florets at the apex, disarticulating below each fertile floret. Glumes persistent, 3 - 8 empty glumes; upper glume ovate, 3 - 14 mm long. Fertile lemma ovate, 15 - 21 mm long, coriaceous, glabrous with awn 3 - 5 mm long