Bolander's Woodreed - flowers at age 3

Cinna bolanderi is a narrow endemic of the central Sierra Nevada, being limited to Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park, and vicinity.  Most known occurrences are in mid-elevation meadows, most often in forests dominated by Giant Sequoia (Sequoidendron giganteum).

The type locality of Cinna bolanderi is the Mariposa Grove, in Yosemite.  Until 2010, Cinna bolanderi had not been seen there since 1866.  In 2010, I surveyed the Mariposa Grove and found Cinna bolanderi moderately abundant in the ‘stringer’ meadow in the upper, central portion of the Grove.

Inflorescences of Cinna bolanderi with ripe seed were collected Tuesday, September 21, 2010 (my specimen #21060, YM- YOSE23260).  That fall, a portion of that seed was planted outdoors, and germinated readily by Thanksgiving.  Subsequent growth was maintained by irrigation as a container plant during the 2011 and 2012 growing seasons.

Now, at 3 yr old, the plants have flowered for the first time (the photo is of plants in cultivation)

Cinna bolanderi is sufficiently rare (CNPS List 1B.2) that it merits monitoring for trend and condition, particularly in sites on public lands subject to grazing.  Potential habitat on the Sierra National Forest and Sequoia National Forest ought to be surveyed for new occurrences of Cinna bolanderi.