Manic Anise Goldenrod

Greek manikós, raving / mad — sharing root with mania. As a color modifier, manic implies a saturated-and-overstimulated-and-extreme quality, the bright color of Andy-Warhol-and-Pop-Art late-Pop-Art repeated-and-multiplied portrait color schemes. Sits at the bright-and-active end of the grid, parallel to hyper and frenetic in usage.

Latin anīsum, sweet-licorice-seed. As a color modifier, anise implies a sweet-licorice-and-Mediterranean-aniseed quality, the visual register of Sicilian-and-Provençal-anise hand-sweet-licorice-and-Mediterranean-aniseed Sicilian-and-Provençal-anise-and-Pernod-Ricard anise-and-sweet-licorice surfaces under Sicilian-and-Provençal-anise-and-Pernod-Ricard Marseille-and-Sicily-and-Pastis Mediterranean-licorice-light. Sits at the modifier-and-flavor end of the grid, parallel to clove and caraway 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.