594 Part IV. Chapter 4. 
The Rock Beach Formation of the Washington coast is subjected to the dashing ocean 
spray and occasionally to inundation by high waves. They are also exposed to strong winds, 
Here grow, according to ROSENDAHL?) Plantago maritima and major var. asiatica, Hordeum boreale 
(growing in tufts in rock crevices), Festuca rubra var. baikalensis and Agrostis exarata. 
Formation. Between the beach formation and the coniferous forest formation on 
Vancouver Island is a thicket composed of the salal, Gaultheria Shallon, which grows in 
great uniformity and continuity. Along the edge of the thicket and shaded by the salal branches 
grow Carex Deweyana, Linnaea borealis, Trientalis europaea var. arctica, Boykinia elata, In the 
dense growth of the salal occur Epilebium glandulosum, Elymus glaucus, Vicia gigantea, Sani- 
cula Menziesii, while Boschniakia strobilacea is parasitic upon its roots. The shrubs that enter 
this formation are Rosa nutkana, Rubus (3 spec.), Lonicera involucrata, Pirus (Malus) rivularis, 
Amelanchier alnifolia, and stunted forms of Pinus contorta. 
2. Coniferous Forest Formation. 
As remarked before, this district is covered with the heaviest continuous 
forest in North America. This forest extends over the slopes of the Cascade 
‚ranges and occupies the entire drift plain surrounding the waters of Puget 
Sound, as well, as the western part of Oregon (see Fig. 6, Coniferous Forest 
along Columbia River, p. 265). The highest mountain peaks and the sand 
dunes of the coast are treeless. The most generally distributed tree is the 
red, or yellow fir Pseudotsuga Douglasü (= P. taxifolia = P. mucro- 
nata) forming about seven eighths of the forest growth. Thuja gigantea 
(= T. plicata), the coast hemlock 7: suga Mertensiana often covering exten- 
sive tracts, are common. Picea sitchensis is of importance in the forests bor- 
dering the coast. Adies amabilis covers the upper ridges of the Cascade Moun- 
tains with Adies nobilis and Picea Engelmanni; south of Coos Bay, Chamat- 
cyparıs Lawsoniana mixed with Pseudotsuga and Picea occurs. — East of the 
Cascade Mountains the forests are less dense and are confined to the moufl- 
Other trees of this forest may be mentione 
caulis, Larix Lyalli oceur only at high elevations, 
east. Taxus brevifolia is a common tree on moist 
trichocarpa, P, balsamifera, 
d: Abies subalpina (A. lasiocarpa), Pinus albi- 
Pinus Murrayana occurs sparingly toward the 
land up to an altitude of 3,000 feet. Populus 
P; tremuloides, Acer macrophyllum, Alnus oregona, Rhamnus Purshiana, 
1) POSTELSIA 1906: 25. 
er 
