Spartan Glide Hibiscus

Greek Spartiátēs, of Sparta — adjectival suffix referring to the Lacedaemonian warrior city. As a color modifier, spartan implies a saturated-and-disciplined-and-formal quality, the deep-rich color of Spartan-hoplite military-class crimson-and-bronze armor-and-cloak. Sits at the bold-and-formal end of the grid, parallel to austere and stern in tone.

Old English glīdan, to-move-smoothly. As a color modifier, glide implies a smooth-and-silent-and-frictionless quality, the visual register of swan-and-skater-glide hand-smooth-and-silent-and-frictionless swan-and-skater-and-soaring-albatross glided-and-smooth-and-silent-and-frictionless surfaces under swan-and-skater-and-soaring-albatross frozen-pond-and-Hyde-Park-Serpentine-and-open-ocean smooth-flight-light. Sits at the modifier-and-mood end of the grid, parallel to float and hover in usage.

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis — the showy mallow of Pacific gardens, the Hawaiian state flower, the source of the deep red sorrel tea sold across West Africa as bissap. The color refers to a fully open hibiscus petal at midday: a hot, slightly magenta red with the velvet texture of a single-day bloom. By evening the same flower has wilted; by morning it's gone.