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Plants with short or creeping rhizome forming long as shoots and roots ropes. Stem covered with leaves. Inflorescence unilateral raceme. The blossoms spread or hanging. The lip consisting of two little parts, separated by pinching and is directed downwards. Ginostemium short, with wide small nose. Poliniums transient.

1  Lip long as other perianth leaflets or longer than them, pointed front, with the tip curled down  ……………………………………......................................................................... 4. Marsh helleborine - E . palustris Crantz.
1* Lip shorter than other perianth leaflets and rounded front .................................................................................................... 2
2   Leaves in the middle of the stem shorter than internodes. Lower leaves broadly elliptical or ovoid  ..................................................................................................................... 3. Small-leaved helleborine  - E. microphylla Sw.
2* Leaves in the middle of the stem longer than internodes ....................................................................................................... 3
3  Perianth goal, variegated green, rarely pale red ............................................ 1. Broad-leaved Helleborine – E. latifolia All.
3* Perianth with short hairy outer leaflets. Blossoms dark red ………............. 2. Dark-red helleborine - E. rubiginosa Crantz
"Флора на НР България", том II, БАН, София, (1964),

Short or creeping rhizome with shoots. Stem covered with leaves. Inflorescence unilateral raceme; blossoms spread or hanging. Lip composed of 2 little parts, usually separated each other by a Pinch
(dimpling) and without spur.
1. Lip equally long or longer than other perianth leaflets, pointed front, tucked down a peak .................................. (1) E. palustris Cr.
1* Lip shorter than other okolotsvetni notes and rounded front ............................................................................................................ 2.
2   Leaves in the middle of the stem shorter than internodes. Lower leaves broadly elliptical or egg shaped ................................................................................................................................................................ (3) E. microphylla (Ehrh.) Sw.
2*  Leaves in the middle of the stem longer than internodes ................................................................................................................. 3.
3    The leaflets of the perianth naked. Blossoms variegated green ........................................................................... (2) E. latifolfa All.
3* External leaflets of the perianth covered with short hairs; Blossoms dark red .................................................. (4) E. rubiginosa Cr.
„Флора на България”, Н. Стоянов, Б. Стефанов, Б. Китанов, Наука и Изкуство, София, (1967)

Epipactis, or Helleborine, is a genus of terrestrial orchids consisting of approximately 70 species. This genus is abbreviated as Epcts in horticultural trade.
They occur in temperate and subtropical climates of America, Asia, and Europe. These orchids grow in open spaces in forests, in undergrowth, on calcareous soils and are often found in wet dune-slacks near the sea. The only original American species is Giant Helleborine (Epipactis gigantea). One species from Europe, Broad-leaved Helleborine (Epipactis helleborine), is invasive in North America. Most species are protected.
Most of these hardy orchids grow in a wet environment, but there are exceptions. The Marsh helleborine (Epipactis palustris) is the only European orchid able to survive in a flooded habitat. Epipactis gigantea is a species found in the American west, and into southern Canada, in wet areas and even streams. It can grow to a height of 1 m. However, Epipactis helleborine grows in more diverse habitats, from sheltered sandy beaches to open spaces in deciduous or coniferous forests, on roadsides, in meadows, and on moist soils. It is sometimes called the Weed Orchid.
As characteristic of all orchids, Epipactis spp. are dependent on a mycorrhizal symbiosis (see also Orchid mycorrhiza). This allows some species to have reduced leaves and need little chlorophyll. Violet Helleborine (Epipactis viridiflora) can even do without chlorophyll. These forms can be recognized by their purple instead of violet flowers.
Their creeping, fleshy rhizomes grow offshoots, from which then emerge the 20–70 cm long stems during the next spring.
There are four to eight alternate, lanceolate leaves, that grow progressively shorter near the top. The margins are entire, the top is acute. Species with less chlorophyll have blue-purple leaves.
Their bilaterally symmetrical colorful flowers grow from a terminal raceme. The three sepals and the two lateral petals are ovate and acuminate. Their color can vary from greenish-white to violet and purple.
The lip is divided in a bowl-shaped hypochile, with the outer surface greenish-white and threaded with dark veins. The wavy, snow-white epichile is fan-shaped.
The ovary is inferior. It produces a dry capsule with countless minute seeds.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

SPECIES:

Epipactis helleborine (L.) Crantz - Broad-leaved helleborine

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