| Dittrichia viscosa | |
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| 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) |
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| Synonyms | |
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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.
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