Shell small, gradately fusiform, compact; whorls 8, of which the uppermost two are nuclear, smooth, white, globular, the remainder plicately ridged spirally at the sutures, and, below these, angularly sloping and closely longitudinally ribbed; ribs crossed, as regards the upper whorls, by two, the body-whorl by four or five spiral incrassate revolving lines, gemmulate, white, and shining at the points of junction with the ribs, interstices oblong. Shell of pale primrose hue, very delicate in colour. Mouth small, oval, outer lip slightly angled centrally and thickened. Columellar margin almost straight, sinus very obscure, canal abbreviate.
Long. 6, lat. 2 mm.
Hab.—Cuba.
Apparently of the same alliance as D. papillosa Garrett, from Fiji, but not so pronounced in sculpture. Dimensions identical. (Primula, a primrose, from the pale lemon colour.)

Shell 6.3 x 2.7 mm (holotype), with ~7 whorls; fusiform, stout, anterior end truncated. Protoconch of ~2 worn whorls. On the fresh specimen shown in Figure 12, there are 1.5 regularly expanding, symmetrical, smooth whorls, followed by 0.5 whorl with 6 distinct, prominent, curved riblets; protoconch white on the holotype, light brown with a dark brown band next to the suture on the fresh specimen. Spiral sculpture consists of a subsutural and 3 other cords on the spire whorls, 2 swollen at the rib crests. Body whorl has 4 additional spiral cords on shell base, also swollen at the rib crests, and 4 plain spiral cords on the anterior canal. On the fresh specimen, the subsutural cord is offset from the suture by 1-3 distinct, packed spiral threads, and undulates with ribs that underlie the appressed suture. Spiral threads are present between the cords overall. Sulcus moderately wide, slightly excavated, with spiral threads throughout. Axial sculpture of 11 ribs on the penultimate and 9 to the varix on body whorl, where they evanesce on the shell base. Ribs about as broad as their interspaces. Outer lip broken on holotype; on fresh specimen lip thin, slightly scalloped by 8 spiral cords; weak stromboid notch present; anal sinus lies just below the subsutural cord, deep and rounded at its apex, sides slightly divergent. Varix lies behind the anal sinus, about the width of two swollen ribs. Inner lip thin, transparent, with a parietal lobe at its junction with the outer lip. Aperture narrow, ending in a short, open anterior canal. Shell color pale yellow, probably laded; fresh specimens examined are all dark-brown, lighter near apex, with a white band spiral cords on the periphery. Type Locality: Cuba.

Buchema primula has spiral cords overriding relatively broad ribs, with spiral threads in between the cords, characteristics of the genus. Intraspecific variation is seen in the number and degree of swelling of the peripheral white cords, and the whiteness of the cords.
This species is most similar to and has been mistaken for B. bellula (Williams, 2005, 2006, 2009: number 3007, second photo from right). The confusion with B. bellula is understandable; only Smiths description has been available for study, and only recently has a photograph of the holotype of B. bellula been published (in Williams, 2006, 2009: number 3007, left photos). Buchema bellula has a different protoconch: dark glassy brown, almost black, of 2 smooth whorls, bulbous but not wider than the first teleoconch whorl, and with tip partially immersed so that the first whorl is slightly tilted relative to the shells axis. This contrasts with the 2 regularly expanding, symmetrical, and smooth whorls of B. primula that bear axial riblets terminally. The teleoconch sculpture differs too. B. primula has a thicker subsutural cord, which undulates with the ribs that underlie the appressed suture; a narrower sulcus; typically 3 peripheral spiral cords (not 2) that are swollen where they cross the ribs, the swellings rounder or shorter, and the ribs narrower, with the interspaces about the same width; more pronounced and longer ribs on the body whorl; and fewer spiral cords on the body whorl.