Parentucellia viscosa

Annual of the Orobanchaceae family, native to the Mediterranean basin and the European Atlantic facade, from the Iberian Peninsula to the British Isles. It frequents wet to dry lawns, roadsides, open meadows, and garrigues on poor soils, often sandy or clayey, in full sun.

The plant is erect, little branched, generally reaching 20 to 50 cm in height. The entire plant is covered with dense glandular hairiness, sticky to the touch, which gives it its epithet and constitutes its most immediately perceptible characteristic in the field. The leaves, sessile, oval to lanceolate and toothed, are arranged in opposite pairs along the stem.

The flowers, bilabiate, bright yellow, are gathered in a dense terminal spike. The upper lip forms a whole helmet, the lower lip is trilobed. The calyxes, with prominent linear teeth, contribute to the bristly appearance of the inflorescence.

Parentucellia viscosa is a facultative hemiparasite, capable of attaching to the roots of neighboring plants to draw part of the nutrients, which complicates its intentional cultivation.

In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from April to July depending on the region.