Murphy’s Breath Welcomes Spring

Flora of Ireland  Part IV

Murphy’s Breath

Beautiful Murphy’s Breath in full bloom along a roadside in West Cork. The flower gives off its most pungent fragrance in the morning and can be detected in many public houses throughout the day, often culminating with sagging leaves in the evening. halitosias murphysonium

Common name: Murphy’s Breath

Scientific name: Murph-glabr B.spectibilis

Family: Hopocataginaceae

Color of flower: red to purple

Blooming time: April and May in West Cork

Propagation: Hard wood-wetlands. Origin: Cork City

Used as small hedge, hair dye, dental floss, potted patio plants or simply to admire from afar. Stale odor is said to drive away potential mates as well as predators large and small, and to effectively knock bothersome sea gulls off local excrement carts (with apologies to the late George Carlin).

compiled by Lord Lucan Gombeen