Culms 85-203 cm; nodes 4-8. Ligules 3.5-7 mm; blades to
40 cm long, 2-19 mm wide. Panicles 7.5-43 cm; branches spreading
to ascending. Spikelets (3.6)4-5.5(6.3) mm; rachilla prolongations 0.4-0.9
mm, sometimes absent. Lower glumes (3.3)3.5-5.2(6) mm, 1-veined; upper
glumes (3.6)4-5.5(6.3) mm, 1- or 3-veined; stipes essentially
absent, florets more or less sessile; lemmas (2.7)3.2-4.6 mm, 5-veined,
lateral veins often faint, awns 0.2-1.5 mm or absent; paleas 2-veined,
veins very close together; anthers 2, 1.2-2.6 mm, rarely to 0.7
mm. Caryopses 2-2.9 mm. 2n = unknown.
Cinna bolanderi is endemic to meadows and streamsides, at 1900-2400 m, in Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Yosemite national parks. It flowers from late summer to fall. It used to be included in Cinna latifolia, but it differs from that species in having 2 anthers, longer anthers and spikelets, and sessile florets. The two species do not overlap in distribution.