Sunlit Gleam Goldenrod

Old English sunne (sun) plus past-participle līehted. As a color modifier, sunlit implies a saturated-and-direct-sunlight-illuminated quality, the bright color of southern-Mediterranean and Greek-island afternoon-sun direct-illumination surface emission. Sits at the bright-and-warm end of the grid, parallel to radiant and brilliant in usage.

Old English glǣm, brightness-or-shine. As a color modifier, gleam implies a low-and-glancing-and-bright quality, the visual register of polished-armor-and-river-water-gleam hand-polished-and-glancing-and-bright polished-armor-and-river-water-and-blade-edge gleamed-and-polished-and-glancing surfaces under polished-armor-and-river-water blade-edge-and-helm-and-shield medieval-tournament-light. Sits at the modifier-and-mood end of the grid, parallel to glint and sheen in usage.

Solidago, the late-summer wildflower of North American meadows whose tall sprays of small yellow flowers signal the end of the growing season. The color refers to the flower head at full bloom: a warm, slightly muted yellow-orange with the matte finish of small clustered florets. Cooler than mustard, deeper than dandelion. The state flower of Kentucky and Nebraska, a pollinator magnet, and the original native dye for early American homespun.