Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter
Inula viscosa (L.) Aiton
Eng.: False yellowhead, sticky samphire, strong-smelling inula. Spa.: Olivarda, altavaca. Fre.: Inule visqueuse. Ara.: Amagramane, mersitt, atticha, amril, al-teewan, erq el-tayyun. Tam.: Tarahla.
Subshrub evergreen, hermaphrodite, up to 1(1.3) m in height, ramose, erect, glandular-viscous. Stems woody, with brown or reddish brown bark, with resinous smell. Young branches herbaceous, green. Leaves (2-7 × 0.2-3 cm) lanceolate, acute, attenuate at the base, sessile, lower leaves amplexicaul, with margin subentire, dentate or denticulate, highly glandular-viscous on both sides. Inflorescences racemiform, with leaves between the floral capitula. Capitula yellow, with involucre 6-8 mm diameter, ligules very exserted, proportionally very large (10-12 mm). Fruit a vilous achene (2-3 mm), with pappus formed by scabrid hairs fused at the base.
Flowering:
June to October.
Fruiting:
August to November.
Habitat:
Forest clearings, thickets and, as a ruderal, along crop edges, roads, irrigation canals, etc. From arid (close to permanent or temporary watercourses) to humid bioclimate, on inframediterranean to mesomediterranean floors.
Distribution:
Mediterranean and Macaronesia regions, where it is native to the islands of Madeira and questionably native to the Canary Islands. In North Africa it is common throughout the Mediterranean area, from Morocco to Egypt.
Conservation status:
Common and widespread species. Currently, it has not been assessed at a global level in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.