確認分布於緬甸南撣邦（Inle湖、Taunggyi一帶，據Cribb記載為原始採集地之一）與曼德勒省眉苗（Pyin Oo Lwin）、泰國北部清邁府石灰岩地區及Doi Chiang Dao、中國西南（雲南南部，東南至西南皆有分布；西南貴州興義一帶；西部廣西）。POWO另列印度阿薩姆、寮國、越南，但印度官方蘭科植物調查名錄並未收錄本種，寮國與越南皆查無具體產地紀錄或標本，這三處暫列為存疑、不計入核心分布。

石灰岩岩生蘭，部分文獻亦記載為兼具地生性；屬兜蘭屬寬瓣亞屬（subgenus Brachypetalum）成員，與同亞屬的P. concolor、P. niveum、P. godefroyae皆為石灰岩專性種。亞屬成員數量各文獻記載不一（5–8種），2025年一篇分子親緣研究提議將整個寬瓣亞屬獨立升格為新屬Brachypetalum，但此提案尚未被POWO採用。

生長於石灰岩岩隙，覆蓋薄層落葉腐植土或苔蘚，林下疏林或岩壁環境。光照描述分歧——部分文獻形容「遮蔭」，部分形容「疏蔭甚至開闊處」；綜合判讀應為林下斑駁光、乾季較明亮，不宜形容成「終年曝曬」。

核心分布約900–1800公尺（《中國植物誌》、Cribb 1998），但兩份較舊的泰國文獻記載約300公尺的低海拔採集點，兩者差異明顯但尚無定論——低海拔記錄年代久遠、數量稀少，可能反映真實的生態差異，但也無法排除誤差的可能。

植株高約10–15公分（單一來源），4–5枚兩列排列的葉片，長11–18公分、寬2.9–4.2公分（最寬可達6公分），上表面深淺灰綠色雲斑，下表面密布紫色斑點。花莛極短（2.5–5公分），通常單花（偶見兩朵），花徑6–8公分，花被厚實如瓷；背萼寬卵形、花瓣寬橢圓近圓形是本種最具辨識度的特徵，也是與外觀相近的P. concolor（花瓣較窄、斑點較細密）最主要的區別。

文獻記載4–8月間均有開花紀錄（《中國植物誌》英文版記4–8月，另一中文資料記4–6月），野外觀察則以5–6月為高峰，依地區與栽培環境略有差異。

不具香氣。目前查無任何來源明確記載本種具有香氣，亦無任何花香化學成分研究；兩家專業苗圃（Orchids Limited、Orchidable）皆明確標示「無香」，本系列對「有香」採嚴格標準，此結論為不具香氣。

CITES附錄一（兜蘭屬全屬皆列入，列入年份未能查證確切日期）；IUCN於2015年評估為「瀕危」（Endangered）。2022年一份中國野外調查另行提出應評為「極危」（Critically Endangered）的建議，但這僅是學術建議、並非正式名錄變更——該研究記錄中國境內已知野生族群僅500–800株，分布於5個縣、39個分布點，其中僅18點位於保護區內，野外盜採（在興義當地市集以低價公開販售）是主要威脅之一。

中等偏難。真正的挑戰不在短期存活，而在長期維持與穩定開花——澳洲蘭花協會（Australian Orchid Council）《Orchids Australia》雜誌一篇專文，作者Peter Taylor坦言本種「不是最容易種好的物種」，曾讓他「挫敗多年」；論壇上常見栽培一至數年後植株從頂部開始腐爛的案例，即使根系仍健康。也有栽培者持較溫和看法，認為本種「長得還算好，只是比較不太願意開花」——評價確實兩極。

低至中等光照，約10,000–15,000 lux，避免直射強光。一個未附來源的部落格給出約10,000–14,000 lux的具體區間，本文稍微上調作為保守參考範圍；不同來源分歧頗大——有苗圃形容本種需要「重遮蔭」，也有一位論壇栽培者形容成株能承受接近Vanda等級的強光（屬個別案例），主流苗圃普遍建議偏低偏中等，採保守做法較穩妥。葉片斑紋可作為簡易光照指標（引自栽培者論壇轉述Braem著作）：葉色偏白偏黃代表光照過強，斑紋深濁模糊則代表光照不足。

本種需要「白天溫暖、夜間明顯降溫」，冬季再偏乾偏涼一段時間——這點多個來源方向一致，但具體數字分歧不小：同一家專業苗圃（Orchids Limited）兩個商品頁分別寫「比一般認知更需要涼爽」與「中等偏溫暖」，自相矛盾；論壇上甚至有栽培者主張「一年多數時間必須維持30°C左右的高溫」。綜合文獻與原生地氣候資料，生長季白天約22–28°C、夜間約15–20°C，冬季夜溫降至約12–15°C是較一致的共識方向；論壇回報夜溫低至10–13°C並未造成明顯傷害，但這類精確數字多半來自未附來源的部落格與栽培者個人經驗，請視為參考而非絕對數字。目前查無本種需要像北美杓蘭那樣低溫層積才能開花的證據，栽培重點是「乾、涼的冬季休息」，不是「凍」。

開放、排水快速的介質是各家共識，例如樹皮混入約25%石灰岩碎石（一篇專業文章的具體配方），或樹皮混珍珠石、牡蠣殼等更趨無機質的配方；一篇專業文章（Taylor）強調務必用小盆、植株略墊高種植——新芽若埋在濕介質底部容易腐爛，大盆、持續潮濕的介質則「幾乎等於宣判死刑」（原文用語）。關於「生長在石灰岩上是否代表盆內必須加石灰」，來源分歧：部分文獻認為鈣補充對開花「不可或缺」，論壇上也有人轉述，《Paphiopedilum Grower's Manual》作者Lance Birk僅用一般松樹皮、不額外加石灰；唯一一篇相關對照試驗測試的是非石灰岩專性的雜交兜蘭，不能直接套用到本種。本店建議：石灰岩碎石或牡蠣殼是可自行嘗試的選項，不是必需品，排水與避免積水才是各方一致的共識。

核心共識是「絕不積水、也不要長期全乾，冬季明顯偏乾」——一篇專業文章具體建議冬季每10天左右才澆一次、且只澆少量；但也有零售商建議「隨時保持略濕」、另一個物種資料庫建議「全年均勻澆水施肥」，與前述冬季偏乾的建議明顯矛盾。原生地氣候資料（乾季11月至4月、雨季5至9月）支持冬季偏乾的版本，本文採這個方向。生長季澆水頻率依盆器、介質與環境差異極大，論壇回報從「每3–4天」到「每2–3週」都有，不宜照抄任何人的固定排程；務必讓水流避開新芽與葉叢中心，搭配良好空氣流通盡快乾燥，是論壇經驗與兜蘭屬一般栽培建議中較一致出現的技術要點。

目前查無本種專屬、具公信力來源的具體施肥方案，以下僅供參考：生長季以稀薄、均衡的液肥每隔幾次澆水施一次，冬季停止；部分栽培者額外添加鈣鎂肥，並建議定期用清水沖洗介質避免鹽分累積，過度施肥加過度澆水容易造成軟爛、易腐的新生組織。

並非真正的休眠，而是一段偏乾、溫度略降的冬季「休息期」，沒有任何來源記載本種需要像杓蘭屬那樣的低溫層積才能開花。這段冬季休息期被多個來源認為對翌年開花有幫助；過度潮濕、恆溫的室內環境反而容易導致不開花或花苞中止發育（bud blast），論壇上多次提及生長季缺水同樣會造成花苞中止，是容易被忽略的另一個方向。

Confirmed in southern Shan State, Myanmar (Lake Inle / Taunggyi area, one of the original collecting areas per Cribb — the 1888 protologue itself gives no locality) and Pyin Oo Lwin (Maymyo) in Mandalay Region; northern Thailand's Chiang Mai Province, including Doi Chiang Dao; and southwest China (S Yunnan, from SE to SW; SW Guizhou around Xingyi; and W Guangxi). POWO additionally lists Assam (India), Laos and Vietnam, but India's own official orchid survey does not include this species, and no specific locality or specimen record for Laos or Vietnam could be found — these three are flagged as unconfirmed and excluded from the core range.

A limestone lithophyte, with some sources also describing it as partly terrestrial; a member of Paphiopedilum subgenus Brachypetalum along with the other calcicolous species P. concolor, P. niveum and P. godefroyae. Subgenus membership counts vary by source (5–8 species), and a 2025 molecular study proposed splitting the whole subgenus into a new genus, Brachypetalum — not yet adopted by POWO.

Grows in limestone crevices under a thin layer of leaf mould or moss, in open woodland or on rock faces. Light descriptions diverge — some sources say "shaded," others say "light shade or even open" — reconciled, this reads as dappled forest-margin light that brightens in the dry season, not year-round full exposure.

Core range roughly 900–1800m (Flora of China; Cribb 1998), though two older Thai records place some sites as low as ~300m — a gap that remains unresolved — it may reflect genuinely lower-elevation Thai populations, but the records are old and few, so error can't be ruled out.

Plant roughly 10–15cm tall (single source), with 4–5 leaves in two ranks, 11–18 × 2.9–4.2cm (to 6cm wide), tessellated grey-green above and densely purple-spotted below. The peduncle is very short (2.5–5cm), usually carrying one flower (rarely two), 6–8cm across, thick and almost porcelain-like in texture. The unusually broad, nearly round dorsal sepal and petals are its most distinctive feature and the main way to tell it apart from the similar P. concolor (narrower petals, finer spotting).

Sources report flowering anywhere April–August (Flora of China, English edition) or April–June (a Chinese source), with wild observations peaking around May–June; timing varies by locality and cultivation conditions.

Not fragrant. No source was found documenting any scent for this species, and no floral-chemistry study was found; two specialist nurseries (Orchids Limited, Orchidable) both explicitly list "Fragrant: No." This series applies a strict standard for calling a plant fragrant, and that standard isn't met here.

CITES Appendix I (genus-wide for all Paphiopedilum; the exact listing date could not be verified). Assessed Endangered by the IUCN Red List in 2015. A 2022 Chinese field survey separately proposed a Critically Endangered rating — an academic recommendation, not an official list change — after finding only 500–800 wild plants across 39 sites in 5 counties in China, only 18 of which fall within protected areas; illegal wild collection, including plants openly sold at low prices in a local Xingyi market, is a documented ongoing pressure.

Moderately difficult to difficult. The real challenge isn't short-term survival but long-term maintenance and consistent flowering — Peter Taylor, writing for Orchids Australia, admits the species "all but defeated me for a number of years," and forum growers commonly report plants collapsing from the top down after a year or more even with healthy roots. A milder dissenting view exists too: one grower who also keeps related species says bellatulum "grows fairly well," just somewhat reluctant to flower — the reputation genuinely is split.

Low to moderate, roughly 10,000–15,000 lux; avoid direct sun. A single uncited blog gives a specific range of roughly 10,000–14,000 lux, which this guide rounds up slightly for a conservative reference range; broader opinion is split, with one nursery calling for "heavy shade" and one forum grower reporting a mature plant tolerating near-Vanda light levels (an outlier report), while mainstream specialist nurseries generally land on low–medium. A practical indicator cited on forums (attributed to Braem's writing): washed-out, pale or yellowish leaves signal too much light; dark, muddy tessellation signals too little.

The species wants warm days with a clear night-time drop, plus a cooler, drier spell in winter — sources agree on that general shape but disagree sharply on numbers. The same specialist nursery, Orchids Limited, rates it "Cool–Warm" on one listing and "Intermediate–Warm" on another; one Slippertalk grower insists it must be kept near 30°C most of the year. Reconciled against habitat data, warm growing-season days around 22–28°C with nights around 15–20°C, and winter nights down to roughly 12–15°C, is the more consistent synthesis; forum growers report nights as low as 10–13°C without apparent harm, though these precise figures mostly trace back to uncited blogs and individual grower anecdotes rather than authoritative sources. No evidence was found for a Cypripedium-style cold-stratification requirement — the emphasis is a cool, dry winter rest, not a freeze.

An open, fast-draining mix is the one point everyone agrees on — one specialist article uses bark with roughly 25% limestone pebbles, while others lean toward bark with perlite or crushed oyster shell for a more mineral mix. One specialist grower (Taylor) stresses using a small pot and setting the plant slightly high, since new growths rot if buried in wet medium, and a large, persistently wet pot "spells doom" (as one article puts it). Whether growing on limestone means the pot needs limestone is genuinely disputed — one source calls calcium supplementation "essential" for flowering, while forum posters report that Lance Birk (author of The Paphiopedilum Grower's Manual) uses plain bark with no added lime at all; the one controlled calcium study found tested non-calcicolous hybrids, not this species, so it doesn't transfer directly. Treat limestone chips or oyster shell as an option worth trying, not a requirement — drainage is what actually matters across every source.

The core consensus: never waterlogged, never bone-dry for long, and noticeably drier in winter. One specialist article specifically recommends watering only about every 10 days, lightly, through winter; but one retailer recommends keeping it "slightly wet at all times" and another species database recommends "even water and fertilizer year-round" — directly contradicting the dry-winter guidance. Habitat climate data (a Nov–Apr dry season, May–Sep wet season) supports the drier-winter approach, which this guide follows. Growing-season watering frequency varies hugely by pot, mix and environment — forum reports range from every 3–4 days to every 2–3 weeks — so don't copy anyone's fixed schedule. Keeping water out of the crown and new growths, paired with good airflow for fast drying, is the technique point most consistently recommended (forum reports plus general Paphiopedilum-genus guidance).

No authoritative, species-specific feeding regime was found; the following is offered as reference only: a dilute, balanced liquid feed every few waterings through active growth, none in winter. Some growers add extra calcium/magnesium feed and recommend flushing the medium periodically with plain water to avoid salt buildup — overfeeding combined with overwatering is specifically blamed for soft, rot-prone new growth.

Not a true dormancy, but a drier, moderately cooler winter rest period — no source documents a cold-stratification requirement like that of Cypripedium. Several sources consider this winter rest helpful for the following season's flowering; a constantly warm, wet indoor environment is more often blamed for failure to bloom or for bud blast, and forum discussion also points to underwatering during active growth as an under-appreciated cause of bud blast.