Also 7 London’s Pride, Pride of London. a. The Sweet William, Dianthus barbatus, or a variety of it. Now dial. b. Lychnis Chalcedonica. Now dial. c. Saxifraga umbrosa.
a. 1629. Parkinson, Parad. in Sole (1656), 319. Speckled Sweet Williams, or London pride.
1671. Skinner, Etymol., II. Londons-Pride, or London-Tufts, Armeria Prolifera, sic dicta, quia flores propter pulchritudinem Londini valde expetuntur.
1672. W. Hughes, Flower Garden, 43. Sweet Williams and London-pride Flower at the same time, and are ordered as Sweet Iohns are.
1683. Sutherland, Hortus Med. Edinburg., 71. Caryophyllus barbatus,… Sweet Williams, or Pride of London of several colours.
b. 1688. R. Holme, Armoury, II. 64/1. The Pride of London is … of some called the Flower of Constantinople.
1886. Britten & Holland, Plant-names, App. (Chedworth, Glouc.).
c. 1697. Molyneux, in Phil. Trans., XIX. 510. Cotyledon, sive Sedum serratum Latifolium Montanum guttato flore … vulgarly call’d by the Gardners London Pride: I suppose because of its pretty elegant Flower.
1726. Threlkeld, Synops. Stirpium Hibern., App. 2.
1785. Martyn, Rousseau’s Bot., xix. (1794), 270. Another species was formerly much shown out at windows and balconies in smoky towns, and hence, with its being really beautiful had the names of London Pride and None-so-pretty.
1882. Garden, 11 Feb., 92/2. The London Pride remains fresh and bright all through the winter.
