These kindes of flowers as they come neerest vnto Pinkes and Gilloflowers, though manifestly differing, so it is fitted to place them next vnto them in a peculiar Chapter.
The sweete Iohn hath his leaues broader, shorter, and greener then any of the former Gilloflowers, but narrower then sweete Williams, set by couples, at the ioynts of the stalkes, which are shorter then most of the former, and not aboue a foote and a halfe high, at the tops whereof stand many small flowers, like vnto small Pinkes, but standing closer together, and in shorter huskes, made of fiue leaues, smaller then most of them, and more deeply iagged then the Williams, of a red colour in the middle, and white at the edges, but of a small or soft sent, and not all flowring at once, but by degrees: the seede is blacke, somewhat like vnto the seede of Pinkes, the roote is dispersed diuersly, with many small fibres annexed vnto it.
This white Iohn differeth not in any thing from the former, but onely that the leafe doth neuer change brownish, and that the flower is of a faire white colour, without any mixture.
There is of both those former kindes, some whose flowers are once double, that is, consisting of two or three rowes of leaues, and the edges not so deeply iagged; not differing in any thing else.
The sweet Williams doe all of them spread into many very long traylng branches, with leaues lying on the ground, in the very like manner that the sweete Iohns doe: the chiefe differences betweene them are, that these haue broader, and darker greene leaues, somewhat brownish, especially towards the points, and that the flowers stand thicker and closer, and more in number together, in the head or tuft, hauing many small pointed leaues among them, but harmlesse, as all men know; the colour of the flower is of a deep red, without any mixture or spot at all.
The double kinde differeth not from the single kinde of the same colour, but only in the doublenesse of the flowers, which are with two rowes of leaues in euery flower.
These spotted Williams are very like the first red Williams, in the forme or maner of growing, hauing leaues as broade, and browne sometimes as they, the flowers, stand as thicke or thicker, clustring together, but of very variable colours: for some flowers will be of a fine delayed red, with few markes or spots vpon them, and others will bee full speckled or sprinkled with white or siluer spots, circlewise about the middle of the flowers, and some will haue many specks or spots vpon them dispersed: all these flowers are not blowne at one time, but some are flowring, when others are decaying, so that abiding long in their pride, they become of the more respect: The seede is blacke, as all the rest, and not to be distinguished one from another: the roots are some long, and some small and threddy, running vnder the vpper crust of the earth.
The leaues of this kinde seeme to be a little larger, and the ioints a little redder then the former, but in the flower consisteth the chiefest difference, which is of a deepe red, or murrey purple colour, like vnto veluet of that colour, without any spots, but smooth, and as it were soft in handling, hauing an eye or circle in the middle, at the bottome of the leaues.
The white kinde differeth not in forme, but in colour from the former, the leaues are not browne at all, but of a fresh greene colour, and the flowers are wholly white, or else they are all one.
These for the most part grow wilde in Italie, and other places: we haue them in our Gardens, where they are cherished for their beautifull varietie.
They all generally doe flower before the Gilloflowers or Pinkes, or with the first of them: their seede is ripe in Iune and Iuly, and doe all well abide the extremitie of our coldest winters.
They all generally are called Armerius, or Armeria, as some doe write, and distinguished as they are in their titles: Yet some haue called them Vetonica agrestis, and others Herba Tunica, Scarlatea, & Caryophyllus siluestris: Wee doe in English in most places, call the first or narrower leafed kindes, Sweet Iohns, and all the rest Sweete Williams; yet in some places they call the broader leafed kindes that are not spotted, Tolmeiners, and London tufts: but the speckled kinde is termed by our English Gentlewomen, for the most part, London pride.
We haue not knowne any of these vsed in Physicke.