Chromatics

The classification of colour (and its multitudinous variations) is of obvious importance for artists, but its relevance to horticulturists is less apparent. Unless, that is, one really concentrates whilst reading Lawrie Metcalf’s seminal writing on New Zealand’s trees and shrubs.

I have written about this subject before in this journal, but recent ruminations about the presence of Indian Lake (821/1) and veined Indian Lake (826/1) in the flowers of Alseuosmia macrophylla that Metcalf collected near Collingwood have further piqued our curiosity about this idiosyncratic corner of New Zealand’s horticultural literature.

Two forms of this highly variable, scented species are shown above, although whether either of these gives “a general impression of Indian Lake” (as Metcalf wrote) is up to the viewer.

Metcalf was on to something when he described Clematis marata (pictured above) as Sap Green (62/2) – an ancient pigment derived from buckthorn berries. Sadly, he didn’t offer comment on Clematis quadribracteolata‘s flower purplish-brown colour – a hue that would have undoubtedly delivered the goods in a linguistic sense.

In addition to heaping praise on the flowers of southern rātā (Metrosideros umbellata), which we are told are “much more brilliant than those of either M. excelsa or M. robusta“, its flowers are noted as being Blood Red (820). On this count, it would be interesting to hear the opinions of medical professionals regarding whether M. robusta or M. umbellata is more deserving of such a classification (as we would put our money on the former).

The catalyst for our fascination with Lawrie Metcalf’s chromatic nomenclature was his comment on the range of hues represented within the flowers of Toronia toru – ranging from the alarmingly-titled Barium Yellow (503) to the more benign Straw Yellow (604). More about this is recounted within our plant profile on this monotypic, endemic genus.

Other highlights include Erythrite Red (27) for a notable form of Parsonsia capsularis var. rosea (pictured above), Oxblood Red for the filaments of certain forms of manuka, and one form of ngutu-kaka (Clianthus puniceus ‘Roseus’) for which his observation deserves to be repeated verbatim :

“In one form the flower is as follows : keel, Scarlet (19/2); wings, Porcelain Rose (620); standard, Egyptian Buff (407/2), lower two-thirds flushed and veined Begonia (619/2), base splashed with Indian Lake (826/3).”

The title of this journal article refers to one of the major studies in this field, ‘Modern Chromatics : With Applications to Art and Industry’, by Ogden N. Rood. However, Lawrie Metcalf’s source material for making his observations was the Royal Horticultural Society’s Colour Chart from 1939.

Interestingly, Metcalf wrote that “while the names of colours may be open to a certain amount of interpretation, I think that they mean a great deal more to people than a mere number” – a sentiment that we share.