False Yellowhead (Dittrichia viscosa) (Linnaeus, 1753) |
Synonyms: Chrysocoma saxatilis, Cupularia viscosa, Dittrichia viscosa, Erigeron viscosus (see The Plant List for more synonyms), woody fleabane, sticky fleabane, yellow fleabane |
Dittrichia viscosa occurs throughout the Mediterranean; introduced in Britain and Australia. It grows in moist sandy, loamy or clayey soils in dry riverbeds, around salt lakes, in abandoned fields, rural and urban areas; up to a 1,500 m. It is an erect perennial shrub 0.5-1.5 m in height, and 1 m in width. The leaves are elliptical and sessile; the stems and leaves are covered with glandular hairs excluding a sticky foul-smelling oil. Each flowerhead comprises of 15-16 yellow ray florets and ca. 40 disc florets. This species flowers mostly from September through December.