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The Puy Mary is a summit in the
The mountain is an extinct volcano, about 6.5 million years old, which was formed by the accumulation of viscous lava (
First mountain met by the oceanic disturbances coming from the Atlantic Ocean, the Puy Mary is among the wettest places in France. In winter, snow is abundant.
mounts of Cantal
The Mounts of Cantal (or Volcanoes of Cantal; french: Monts du Cantal ) are a mountainous massif in the mid-west of the Massif Central, France, made up of the remnants of the largest stratovolcano of Europe, which was formed from 13 million years a ...
in Massif Central
The (; oc, Massís Central, ; literally ''"Central Massif"'') is a highland region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaus. It covers about 15% of mainland France.
Subject to volcanism that has subsided in the last 10,0 ...
in France. It is classified as a "Grand National Site" in France. Nearly 500,000 visitors come to this site every year.
Geography and geology
The mountain is an extinct volcano, about 6.5 million years old, which was formed by the accumulation of viscous lava (trachyte
Trachyte () is an extrusive igneous rock composed mostly of alkali feldspar. It is usually light-colored and aphanitic (fine-grained), with minor amounts of mafic minerals, and is formed by the rapid cooling of lava enriched with silica and al ...
). It has been gradually eroded by glaciers during the Quaternary glaciation
The Quaternary glaciation, also known as the Pleistocene glaciation, is an alternating series of glacial and interglacial periods during the Quaternary period that began 2.58 Ma (million years ago) and is ongoing. Although geologists describ ...
, which explains its pyramidal form. Seven glacial valleys radiate from the summit. It is accessible starting from the Pas de Peyrol, which at 1,589 m above sea level, is the highest pass of the Massif Central.
Climate
First mountain met by the oceanic disturbances coming from the Atlantic Ocean, the Puy Mary is among the wettest places in France. In winter, snow is abundant.
Flora
The subalpine stage of the Cantal mounts counts 550 plant species including 130 regarded as fragile (in these species, one counts 60 species which profit from a protection regional or national and 70 other not protected but rare). For example, one will be able to find, with a little chance, the following species of high mountain : the saxifrage with opposite sheets (Saxifraga oppositifolia
''Saxifraga oppositifolia'', the purple saxifrage or purple mountain saxifrage, is a species of plant that is very common in the high Arctic and also some high mountainous areas further south, including northern Britain, the Alps and the Rocky ...
), the saxifrage with sheets of Androsace ( Saxifraga androsacea), the verticillate pedicular (Pedicularis verticillata
''Pedicularis verticillata'', the whorled lousewort, is a species of flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae which can be found in Alaska, North-Western Canada, and everywhere in China at the elevation of . Its native habitats include moist m ...
) or the saxifrage of Lamotte ( Saxifraga exarata subsp lamottei), the latter being an endemic species of the Cantal and the monts Dore
The Monts Dore () are the remnant peaks of a volcanic massif situated near the center of the Massif Central, in the Auvergne region of France. They form a picturesque mountainous region, dotted with lakes, thermal springs and romanesque churches. ...
. The puy Mary is a top where most of this flora can be observed.
References
{{Mountains of France Volcanoes of Metropolitan France