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.