The penalties for this crime has been fixed since the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act came into effect, a Bill created by the Government to protect wild flowers and the countryside.
Dr Ash said that the theft of orchids was becoming more common in the UK
She added: "There was a case last year where 24-hour mounted guards had to be hired after a special breed of orchid was stolen by gangs in Kent.
"The monkey orchids and man orchids are two very rare breeds and are protected by law.
"We are hoping that, at the moment, what we have seen in Wirral is a one-off case but, if this becomes the start of an epidemic, then we will have to look harder at how we are going to protect them."
The stolen Southern Marsh Orchids, which only grow alongside a certain type of fungus, will almost certainly die if removed from their natural habitat.
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