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''LONDON PRIDE." 

 By James Britten, F.L.S. 



I SEE that Mr. Henslow, in his recently published How to Study 

 Wild Floivers, follows Dr. Prior in the explanation he gives for this 

 name as applied to Saxifnuja umbrosa. This supposed derivation is 

 such an excellent example of the way in which — as in the old fable 

 of "The Three Black Crows" — a vague and inaccurate statement 

 develops into an accepted fact, that I think it may be well to put 

 the various stages of development on record ; and thus (perhaps) 

 prevent future writers from falling into the same error. 



The stages of development are as follow : — 



1. "I know I have somewhere read that Saxifraga umbrosa was 

 called London Pride because it was a great favourite of London, 

 the partner in the firm of London and Wise, the celebrated Royal 

 Gardeners of the early part of the last century." — R. H [eward] in 

 Gardeners' Chronicle, May 2, 1863, p. 413. 



2. "It is understood, upon apparently good authority, that of 

 Mr. R. Reward in the Gardeners' Chronicle, to have been given to 

 [S. umbrosa'] in reference to the person who introduced it into 

 cultivation, Mr. London, of the firm," &c., as above. — Dr. Prior, 

 Popular Names of British Plants, p. 139 (1863 and subsequent 

 editions). 



3. " Named after Mr. London, of the firm of London & Wise, 

 who first introduced it into cultivation, in the early part of the 

 eighteenth century." — Rev. G. Henslow, How to Study Wild Flowers, 

 p. 107 (1896). 



It will be observed that Mr. Heward has now become the 

 "authority" for what he had "somewhere read," and that London 

 is credited with having "introduced into cultivation" what in the 

 original statement was merely styled " a great favourite " with him : 

 Mr. Henslow states the matter absolutely, as if there could be no 

 doubt about it. 



But what are the facts ? 



Certainly London did not introduce the plant into cultivation. 

 Gerard had it in his garden, where it "flourished exceedingly," 

 and it was evidently then common in London, for he says it is 

 called "of our London dames Pratling Parnell" {Herbal, p. 645 

 (1597)). Parkinson says, "Some of our English GentleAVomen 

 have called it The Princes Feather" {Paradisus, p. 234 (1629) ). 



Nor was the plant called after London, who died in 1717. The 

 name "London Pride" was commonly given to the Sweet William 

 in 1633 (Johnson's Gerard, p. 597), and earlier ; it is called "Pride 

 of London" in the index to Parkinson's Paradisus (1629), and in 

 Sutherland's Hortus Medicus Edinensis (1613). It was commonly 

 applied to Saxifraga umbrosa before the end of the century ; Moly- 

 neux (Phil. Trans, xix. 510 (1697) ) says it is "vulgarly call'd by 

 the gardeners London Pride"; and Threlkeld (Syn. Stirp. Hibern. 

 Appendix, p. 2 (1727) ) cites the name incidentally as being in 



