Perennial of the Caprifoliaceae family (formerly Dipsacaceae), native to Anatolia, where it grows on rocky slopes, scree, and calcareous cliffs of the mountainous massifs of central and southern Turkey, at altitudes that can exceed 2,000 meters.
It forms dense and spreading cushions, 5 to 10 cm in height, with woody stems at the base. The foliage is finely divided to pinnatifid, with a very pronounced silvery gray, densely tomentose, giving it a remarkable ashen hue, significantly more marked than in other species of the genus. This silvery, persistent, and very dense foliage alone constitutes a distinctive ornamental feature.
The flower heads are borne on short peduncles barely raised above the cushion. The peripheral flowers, widened and spread out in rays, are a fairly strong lilac pink to violet pink, noticeably more vivid than in P. parnassi or P. depressus, contrasting with the silvery foliage in a particularly striking way. In its natural environment, its flowering extends from June to August depending on the altitude.
In cultivation, it requires full sun, perfect drainage, and a poor, preferably calcareous, stony substrate. It withstands summer drought well and is suitable for rock gardens or alpine troughs, provided it is protected from stagnant moisture in winter.