There are other species, including insects, which would rely on these helleborines. Plants are at the bottom of the food chain, so, the more floral diversity there is in the area, the better."
LEARN more about the helleborines from Pauline Michell and Helen Greaves at www.
How to tell your dune helleborines from your green-flowered variety
For this reason, Merseyside Bio Bank, an environmental records office, is co-ordinating a survey of the dune helleborine and another type of orchid, the green-flowered helleborine, which is also of conservation importance.
Once they have identified a helleborine, they fill in a form giving details of the conditions in which it was found and, using a GPS (Global Positioning System) unit, the Ordnance Survey grid reference.
They flower earlier in the summer so finding them without their distinctive blooms can be tricky and volunteers have been shown how not to confuse other plants, such as less rare types of helleborine, rosebay willow herb and evening primroses.
"I was on the National Trust site the other day and a green flowered helleborine was growing out of the base of a signpost, just where it goes into the ground.
DUNE Helleborine (epipactis dunensis) Leaves: Longer, narrower; paler or yellowish green; two ranks up the stem; held at 45 degrees above horizontal.
In the cool of a nearby wood, where pendulous - fl owe re d helleborine (epipactis phyllanthes) occurs, I found three examples of this unassuming orchid, rising through a carpet of nettles and ivy.
Some days off maturity they may lack the show of marsh helleborine, but are still enigmatic enough to be worth searching out each year.