Plants dense caespitose; branches many, short, leafy, in columss close together. Leaves marcescent, spathulate or oblong, 2-4 x 1-1.5 mm, obtuse, truncate or crenulate, minutely glandular-stipitate, margin glandular, apex narrowly hyaline, nerves prominent on under surface and fan like, efarinose. Flowers solitary at the shoot apices, sessile, yellow. Bracts 1-2, lanceolate, 2-3 mm long, acute, margin minutely glandular-stipitate. Thrum-eyed flowers: Calyx tubular-campanulate, 2.5-3 mm long, ½-2/3 rd cleft, pubescent; lobes ovate-lanceolate, margin towards apex obscurely crenulate, hyaline. Corolla glabrous; tube 9-13 mm long; limb c. 5.5 mm broad; lobes sub-orbicular, obtuse or retuse, 2.5-3 mm long, Anthers elongated, 1 mm long. Capsule ovoid, c. 2.5-3 mm long, not exceeding the calyx; valves ovate-acute. Seeds 1-3 in number, trigonal.

Fl. Per.: March-May.

Holotype: Iran, above Derrud, Nishapur-Meshed, Bunge s.n. (LE?, iso. G! P!).

Distribution: Iran, Afghanistan, Kurram and Kopet Dagh mts. (Southern USSR).

Not very common, but found on steep limestone cliffs or rocks, in shade from 1000-3000 m. The most widespread of the species geographically. Related to the Iranian Dionysia kossinskyi Czern, with smaller seeds, brownish-violet corolla which is pubescent outside. Also closely resembling Dionysia trinervia Wendelbo, which differs in having fewer veins (3) on the leaves.