This species with a broadly Mediterranean distribution is present in all regions of Italy except in the Valle d'Aosta and Trentino-Alto Adige. It grows in the gravel beds of streams, on beaches and uncultivated wet ground, in ruderal environments; the primary stations are in coastal habitats on weakly saline soils, from which the species was able to spread on the clay soils of ruderal environments, mainly on marly-siliceous substrata (on limestone the species is rare and ephemeral), from sea level to about 800 m. The species is found on the edge of the Sardinian temporary ponds, in contact with ruderal vegetation. The plant, with a strong smell that is unpleasant to herbivores, seem to possess antimicrobial properties. The genus is dedicated to the German botanist Manfred Dittrich (1934-), a specialist in Asteraceae; the species name refers to the stickiness of the plant. Flowering period: August to October. Syn.: Inula viscosa (L.) Aiton subsp. viscosa

Italian name(s): Arangella (Calabria), Arzunella (Calabria), Bistorno (Marche), Brucara (Sicilia), Canta canta (Calabria), Ceppica (Italia), Ceppita (Toscana, Montespertoli), Ceppitone (Toscana, Borgo S. Lorenzo), Ceppula (Italia), Cespita (Toscana, Val di Chiana), Chiappa moscerini (Toscana, Val di Chiana), Cote de volepe (Abruzzi), Crizza (Calabria), Dittrichia (Italia), Enula (Emilia-Romagna, Romagna), Enula cepittoni (Italia), Erba da mosca (Sardegna, Alghero), Erba da Pruxe (Liguria, savona), Erba della Madonna (Campania, Napoli), Erba di ciucci (Campania, Ischia), Erba per i tagli (Calabria), Erba puzza (Toscana, Val di Chiana), Erba vischio (Toscana, Val di Chiana), Erva di maisi (Sicilia), Frisa (Sardegna), Frissa (Sardegna), Gnasca (Liguria, savona), Mastirascia (Campania, Capri), Melacciola (Toscana, Val di Chiana), Melajola (Toscana, Monte Murlo), Melangola (Toscana, Monte Murlo), Nasca (Liguria), Paparacchio (Campania, Pozzuoli), Piscia pantone (Basilicata, Potenza), Prucarà (Sicilia), Prucara (Italia), Pruteca (Italia), Pruteca (Campania, Ischia), Pulegara (Liguria, Sarzana), Pulicara (Calabria), Pulicara majuri (Sicilia), Pulicaria (Sicilia), Putica (Campania, Ischia), Scarafazzen (Emilia-Romagna, Bologna), Scepita (Toscana, Val di Chiana), Tignamica (Toscana, Giogoli), Vulcara (Sicilia).