{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}} {{Speciesbox | image = Dittrichia viscosa InflorescencesCloseup2 27September2009 DehesaBoyaldePuertollano.jpg | image_caption = | genus = Dittrichia | species = viscosa | authority = (L.) Greuter, 1973 | synonyms_ref = <ref name=patella>[http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/gcc-16305 The Plant List, ''Dittrichia viscosa'' (L.) Greuter ]</ref> | synonyms = {{collapsible list|bullets = true |title=<small>Synonymy</small> |''Erigeron viscosus'' <small>L. 1753</small> |''Inula viscosa'' <small>(L.) Aiton</small> |''Cupularia viscosa'' <small>(L.) Gren. & Godr.</small> |''Chrysocoma camphorata'' <small>Robill. & Castagne</small> |''Chrysocoma saxatilis'' <small>DC.</small> |''Chrysocoma verticalis'' <small>Lag.</small> |''Conyza major'' <small>Bubani</small> |''Jacobaea viscosa'' <small>(L.) Merino</small> |''Dittrichia orientalis'' <small>Brullo & De Marco, syn of subsp. ''angustifolia''</small> |''Dittrichia maritima'' <small>Brullo & De Marco, syn of subsp. ''maritima ''</small> |''Dittrichia revoluta'' <small>(Hoffmanns. & Link) Brullo & De Marco, syn of subsp. ''revoluta ''</small> |''Inula prostrata'' <small>Rothm., syn of subsp. ''revoluta ''</small> |''Inula revoluta'' <small>Hoffmanns. & Link, syn of subsp. ''revoluta ''</small> |''Pulicaria revoluta'' <small>(Hoffmanns. & Link) Nyman, syn of subsp. ''revoluta ''</small> }} }}

'''''Dittrichia viscosa''''', also known as '''false yellowhead''',<ref>{{PLANTS|id=DIVI6|taxon=Dittrichia viscosa|access-date=18 January 2016}}</ref> '''woody fleabane''',<ref name=BSBI07>{{BSBI 2007 |access-date=2014-10-17 }}</ref> '''sticky fleabane''' and '''yellow fleabane''', is a flowering plant in the daisy family.

''Dittrichia viscosa'' is a highly branching perennial common throughout the Mediterranean Basin. It has long, narrow leaves that are pointed at both ends and have teeth along the edges and glandular hairs on the surfaces. One plant can produce many yellow flower heads each with as many as 16 ray florets and 44 disc florets.<ref>[http://www.maltawildplants.com/ASTR/Dittrichia_viscosa.php Malta Wild Plants, false yellowhead, ''Dittrichia viscosa''] includes photos, description, etymology, and other information</ref>

Originally, the species was found mainly in dry riverbeds and abandoned fields up to a 1500 m (5000 feet) elevation. Nowadays it is quite common in roadsides and ruderal habitats, even in urban areas. It is considered an invasive species in Australia.<ref>[http://www.weeds.gov.au/publications/guidelines/alert/d-viscosa.html Weeds Australia, False yellowhead (Dittrichia viscosa) weed management guide] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090427024837/http://www.weeds.gov.au/publications/guidelines/alert/d-viscosa.html |date=2009-04-27 }} {{in lang|en}}</ref> 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 ''Iolana iolas''. The galls of the plants also are habitat for ''Myopites stylatus'' and ''Myopites inulaedyssentericae'', whose larvae are hosts to parasitic hymenoptera such as Eupelmus urozonus who are also major parasites of the olive fly, helping control its population. This may be cause for its name in Catalan: ''Olivarda''.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.floracatalana.cat/flora/relacions-imatges?field_referencia_imatge_rel_value=VTax3046-Org124&field_tipus_de_relacio_target_id=&field_escala_rel_value=All | title=Relacions imatges &#124; Flora Catalana }}</ref>

Despite the fresh-looking green color of its leaves and its attractive inflorescence,<ref>[http://ichn.iec.cat/Bages/planes/Imatges%20grans/olivarda.htm Institució Catalana d'Història Natural, Flora del Bages - Olivarda] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091201051658/http://ichn.iec.cat/Bages/planes/Imatges%20grans/olivarda.htm |date=2009-12-01 }} in Catalan with photos</ref> this plant is sticky and has a certain smell that most people find unpleasant. It contains an essential oil<ref>[http://www.santllorenc.es/sessitges/itineraris/pdfs/herbesAromat.pdf Ses Sitges, Sant Llorenç des Cardassar, Plantes aromàtiques] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107223758/http://www.santllorenc.es/sessitges/itineraris/pdfs/herbesAromat.pdf |date=January 7, 2010 }} in Italian, with photos and descriptions of several aromatic herbs</ref> and has been used in traditional medicine since ancient times, especially in the Levant, as an astringent.<ref>[http://www.inulav.com /Inula_viscosa_Traditional_Medicine.html Avisco Ltd., Traditional medicine uses of ''Inula viscosa'']</ref>

In Elba Island and Corsica it is now used by residents and tourists to heal stings from jellyfish, bees and wasps pressing fresh leaves on the skin with quick results. It is called in local dialect ''pescida''.

A yellow dye substance has, since ancient times, been produced from its roots.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ḳrispil|first=Nissim|author-link=|title=A Bag of Plants (The Useful Plants of Israel) |publisher=Cana Publishing House Ltd.|volume=3 (Ṭ.-M.) |year=1985|location=Jerusalem|pages=359–363|language=he|isbn=965-264-011-5 |oclc=959573975 }}, s.v. ''Inula viscosa''; syn. ''Dittrichia viscosa''</ref>

It is an important plant in Catalan tradition, often mentioned in adages and proverbs. One adage says that: ''"No vos 'nemoreu, amor, de cap fadrina gallarda que és com la flor d'olivarda molt guapa, i dolenta d'olor."'' [My dear one, don't fall in love with any woman who only has good looks, she is like a false yellowhead flower: beautiful, but full of stench.]

;Subspecies<ref name=patella/> *''Dittrichia viscosa'' subsp. ''angustifolia'' <small>(Bég.) Greuter</small> *''Dittrichia viscosa'' subsp. ''maritima'' <small>(Brullo & De Marco) Greuter</small> *''Dittrichia viscosa'' subsp. ''revoluta'' <small>(Hoffmanns. & Link) P.Silva & Tutin</small> *''Dittrichia viscosa'' subsp. ''viscosa''

==Leaves, flowers and fruits== <gallery> File:Inula viscosa01.jpg|''Dittrichia viscosa'' habitus File:Inula viscosa seed heads.jpg|Seed heads File:Inula viscosa flowers.jpg|''Dittrichia viscosa''. Flowerheads File:Inula viscosa leaves.jpg|Leaves File:Utetheisa pulchella on Dittrichia viscosa 1.JPG|''Utetheisa pulchella'' on ''Dittrichia viscosa'' File:Ruderal community Dittrichia viscosa on gravel01.jpg|Ruderal community of ''Dittrichia viscosa'' growing on the railway-side gravel next to Petah Tikva-Sgula railway station, Israel. File:D. viscosa-cips-1.jpg|Cypselae ''in situ'' File: dittrichia_viscosa_elba.jpg|''Dittrichia viscosa'' growing in Giardino beach in Elba Island </gallery>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{Commons category-inline}} *{{Wikispecies-inline|Dittrichia viscosa}} *[http://herbarivirtual.uib.es/cat-med/especie/4102.html Universitat de las Illes Balears- Herbari virtual - ''Dittrichia viscosa'' (L.) Greuter] in Catalan with photo

{{Taxonbar|from=Q311844}} {{Authority control}}

Category:Inuleae Category:Plants described in 1753 Category:Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Category:Plant dyes Category:Flora of Malta