Dittrichia viscosa

Dittrichia viscosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Subfamily:	Asteroideae
Tribe:	Inuleae
Genus:	Dittrichia
Species:	D. viscosa
Binomial name
	Dittrichia viscosa (L.) W.Greuter; (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
	Inula viscosa (L.) Aiton; Cupularia viscosa (L.) Gren. & Godr.;

Dittrichia viscosa, also known as False Yellowhead, Sticky Fleabane, Woody Fleabane and Yellow Fleabane, is a flowering plant in the daisy family.

This perennial plant is common throughout the Mediterranean Basin. Originally it was found mainly in dry riverbeds and abandoned fields up to a height of 1.500 m. Nowadays it is quite common in roadsides and ruderal habitats, even in urban areas. It is considered an invasive species in the United States.^[1] The False Yellowhead is a tough plant, very resistant to adverse conditions and degraded environments. It is important as food for the caterpillars of certain butterflies and moths, like Ioana iolas.^[2]

Despite the fresh-looking green color of its leaves and its attractive inflorescence^[3], this plant is sticky and has a certain smell that most people find unpleasant. It contains an essential oil^[4] and has been used in traditional medicine since ancient times, especially in the Levant, as an astringent^[5].

It is an important plant in Catalan tradition, often mentioned in adages and proverbs. One adage says that: "els raïms són madurs quan floreixen les olivardes.", the grapes are ripe when the Yellow Fleabane blooms.

Gallery

Dittrichia viscosa habitus
Seed heads
Dittrichia viscosa. Flowers
Leaves
Utetheisa pulchella on Dittrichia viscosa
Ruderal community of Dittrichia viscosa growing on the railway-side gravel next to Petah Tikva-Sgula railway station, Israel.