i68 IP s t c I s i a 



the shores of the Gulf of Alaska to northern 

 California. 



This spruce is the most characteristic tree of 

 the Pacific coast forest, growing throughout 

 almost the entire length of the region, but never 

 occurring far from the ocean. It cannot endure 

 extremes of summer heat or winter cold, Imt 

 under the peculiar conditions which obtain along 

 the Alaska coast, it reaches the extreme limit of 

 tree growth in that direction. It forms one of 

 the largest trees in the forests of western Van- 

 couver Island. Specimens sixty meters high, 

 with trunks two meters in diameter are not rare 

 and not infrequently these dimensions are con- 

 siderably exceeded. Under adverse circum- 

 stances it can, however, maintain life for a long 

 time with very little increase in size, and curious- 

 Iv dwarfed specimens have been found growing 

 in crevices in the rocks of the upper beach near 

 the Minnesota Seaside Station.* In one case a 

 tree less than a foot in height was found to have 

 an age of ninety-eight years. The western hem- 



* MacMillan, C. Note oa some Briiish Cjlumbia Dwarf trees. 

 Bot. Gaz 38.379. 1904. 



