Dionysia is a genus containing 61 species of flowering plants in the family Primulaceae. They are small, cushion-forming alpines native to mountains of Iran, Iraq, Turkey, sauth Turkmenistan, northwestern Pakistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and parts of Oman. They are usually evergreen perennials with felted leaves, covered with bright yellow or pink, five-petalled flowers in spring. They are often difficult to cultivate if the correct conditions are not provided.
Most species of Dionysus are cushion plants that grow in dry mountain environments, but some species are taller and prefer moist environments. In many species, the leaves are covered with an aromatic wax. The leaves are very drought resistant in some species and are reinforced with stone cells (sclerids) either around the nerves or freely in the leaf tissue. These species blooms profusely in early spring with yellow, purple, violet or pink flowers, often being completely covered by the flowers. The range of most Dionysia species is small and confined to one ridge, mountain or its slope. The disappearance of species from their habitats is associated with the construction of roads, as well as with the collection of plants by collectors for planting in alpine slides and The number of species also decreases due to grazing.
