Perennial of the Primulaceae family, endemic to northwestern Iran, where it grows on limestone cliffs and rocky screes, between approximately 2,000 and 3,000 meters altitude. It is distinguished from most other Dionysia by a radically different habit: instead of the compact cushion characteristic of the genus, it forms small tufts of spreading rosettes, each rosette borne on a short upright branch, giving it an appearance akin to a miniature primrose.
The leaves are its most striking feature: large for the genus, oval-rounded, strongly blistered and wrinkled, with very pronounced sunken veins, of a tender almost translucent green, softly pubescent. Their crumpled texture and sculpted surface give them an unusual, almost architectural plant aspect, rarely found in other species of the genus.
The flowers are solitary or borne in very small numbers at the top of the leafy stems, with five pink to pink-lilac petals, slightly notched, and a well-defined yellow-white central eye. The flower emerges directly from an involucre of leafy bracts that gave it its name.
In its natural habitat, flowering extends from April to June. In cultivation, it generally occurs in March-April.
Cultivation in well-drained substrate, enriched with humus unlike cushion species, with protection against prolonged winter rains. Less demanding than dense cushion species, it nevertheless remains a plant for a cold alpine greenhouse or frame for regions with wet winters.