Blognotice 20.10.2012: les violettes du Cap Leucate n’ont pas disparu

This blog notice, which was written in October 2012, reports the survival of the tree violet (Viola arborescens, lignous violet) at the cliff site of Cap Leucate (Aude, France), following fears that the construction of a gastronomic restaurant (Klim & Co) on the Falaise du Cap Leucate might have led to the local extinction of this rare and emblematic species. A field survey conducted on 7 October 2012 confirms that the species has not disappeared, although it has suffered further habitat loss. Even before the restaurant's construction, V. arborescens was already subject to significant human pressure, notably from trampling. The site of the Falaise du Cap Leucate constitutes one of the last French, and possibly European, occurrences of Viola arborescens, yet most visitors – hikers, summer tourists, paragliders – are unaware of its botanical significance. Although the site is part of the Natura 2000 network, the information point planned in the basement of the restaurant remained unopened as of October 2012, despite an announcement poster in place since June 2012. The author compares the French situation with the German "Blume des Jahres" (flower of the year) initiative, founded by Loki Schmidt, which raises public awareness of endangered plant species, and argues that a comparable initiative in France could help sensitize the public to the threats weighing on rare plant species such as the Cap Leucate violets.