Book  (1978)  Page(s) 45.  
 
Mermaid, Hybrid bracteata, introduced by the firm of William Paul , of Waltham cross in England in 1918.

It was investigated by the Secretary of the National Rose Society, Mr. Courtney Page, who went with the famous rose breeder Sam McGredy, to the nurseries in Waltham Cross from which Mermaid had come. This they did in September, 1919, and were entirely satisfied, as the following report from Mr. Page beautifully testifies:

"Unexpectedly we came upon a large breadth of cutbacks of Mermaid, and what a sight it was ! The sun had only recently broken through the autumn mist, and the beautiful shining foliage was still wet with dew. There were blooms by the thousand, enormous ones, too, many being five or six inches across. We stood admiring them for some considerable time, when suddenly Mr. McGredy turned to Mr. Paul and said “I have seen the sight of my life, it’s simply magnificent. I would not have missed it on any account”. Surely a very graceful tribute from on raiser to another.

Mermaid is well known as a thorny brute, best not pruned very much, and with brittle stems which easily snap; worse still, it is liable to be damaged beyond recovery by frost. The answer to all these troubles is to put up with them, and then buy another 'Mermaid' if the old one is lost. The single flowers in light primrose are made alive by the crown of amber stamens, and this pleasure may be had for months every year. "