Concordance to the Colors Used by E.M. Fries
BASED ON WHARTON, H.T. 1884. ON FRIES’ NOMENCLATURE OF COLOURS. GREVILLEA 25-31.
Many years ago, Dr. Rudi Maas Geesteranus made me aware of the paper cited above, in which the color names used by Elias Magnus Fries were put into English and given some additional significance by comparison to objects or animals. It appeared to me that a concordance to these colors, based on the work of Wharton, could be of use to students of the fungi. The present compilation is a starting point only – simply an alphabetical list of the colors mentioned by Wharton, with a brief description in English. In several instances Wharton supplied a more complete reference than I, and the introductory material in that publication is fascinating, so I refer the reader there.
A
- Aerugineus: bluish green, verdigris
- Aeruginosus: bluish green, verdigris
- Agyraceus: silvery white
- Albellus: whitish
- Albescens: whitish
- Albicans: becoming white
- Albidior: whitish
- Albidus: whitish
- Albineus: whitish
- Albus: white, dead white
- Alutaceus: buff, tan
- Argenteus: silvery white
- Argillaceus: light white clay, light brown ash-color
- Armeniacus: apricot color
- Ater: lusterless black
- Atratus: clothed in black
- Aurantiacus: light full orange, Cadmium orange
- Aureolus: gold colored, Cadmium yellow
- Aureus: gold colored, Cadmium yellow
- Azureus: ultramarine
B
- Badius: reddish brown, bay horse
- Brunneus: Vandyke brown
C
- Caeruleo-fuscus: dusky blue
- Caeruleus: azure, pale blue
- Caerulescens: becoming blue
- Caesius: pale bluish gray, gray eyes
- Candicans: becoming white
- Candidus: shining white
- Canus: very pale neutral gray, gray hair
- Carneolus: flesh color
- Carneus: pale red
- Castaneus: chestnut
- Cerinus: deeper and duller than straw color
- Cerussatus: colored with white lead
- Cervicolor: fawn color
- Cervinus: dark fawn color
- Chalybaeus: steel or iron gray
- Cinerascens: becoming ash gray
- Cinereo-pallidus: pale chalky gray
- Cinereus: wood ashes color
- Cinnabarinus: cinnabar red
- Cinnamomeus: cinnamon
- Citrinus: lemon yellow
- Coccineus: deep scarlet, carmine
- Coffeatus: roasted coffee
- Coracinus: raven black, tinge of blue
- Croceus: saffron yellow
- Crustulinus: toast color
- Cyanellus: sky blue
- Cyaneus: ultramarine
D
- Dealbatus: plastered white
- Denigratus: blackened, dark dusky brown
E
- Eburneus: ivory white
- Ermineus: ermine white
F
- Ferrugineus: rust red
- Flammeolus: flame colored
- Flavidus: very full, rich yellow
- Flavissimus: brightest yellow
- Flavus: full bright yellow, gamboge
- Fuligineus: smoky
- Fuliginosus: sooty black
- Fulmineus: flame colored
- Fulvo-cinnamomeus: tawny cinnamon
- Fulvellus: pale, redder than lion color
- Fulvus: tawny, lion colored
- Fumosus: smoky
- Furvus: swarthy
- Fuscus: dusky, almost too brown for gray
G
- Galbanus: green-yellow, gum galbanum
- Gilvus: yellow-cinnamon, cream-colored horse
- Glaucescens: pale greenish gray
- Glaucus: greenish gray
- Griseus: somewhat darker than wood ashes
H
- Helvolo-alutaceus: yellowish tan
- Helvolus: light buff, yellowish buff, like white grapes or white wine
- Helvus: light bay, cow color
- Hepaticus: liver colored
- Hinnuleus: dark fawn color, tawny cinnamon
- Hysginus: red-flesh color
I
- Ianthus: violet
- Ictericus: ochre-yellow color
- Icterinus: ochre-yellow color
- Igneus: flame color
- Incanus: very pale neutral gray, gray eyes
- Incarnatus: flesh color
- Ionides: violet
- Isabellinus: light brownish yellow, dirty
- cream color, unwashed linen
L
- Lateritius: like old red tiles
- Lazulinus: ultramarine
- Leochromus: tawny, lion-color
- Leoninus: tawny, lion-color
- Ligneo-brunneus: wood brown
- Lilaceus: lilac, mauve
- Livescens: becoming bluish or leaden gray
- Liveus: bluish or leaden gray
- Lixivius: darker and browner than ashes
- Luridus: sallow, wan
- Luteolus: pale yellow
- Luteus: light yellow
M
- Melleus: honey color
- Miniatus: scarlet
- Molybdus: bluish or lead gray
- Murinus: mouse gray
- Myochrous: dusky umber
N
- Niger: glistening black
- Nigerrimus: black as black can be
- Nigrescens: gray, turning black with age
- Nigricans: gray, turning black with age
- Nitellinus: door mouse color (England)
- Niveus: snow white
0
- Ochraceus: yellow-ochre
- Olivaceus: olive-green
- Olivascens: becoming olive-green
- Oniscus: light gray, codfish scales
P
- Pausicus: olive green (variant)
- Persicinus: peach color
- Persicolor: peach color
- Piceo-ater: black as pitch
- Plumbeus: lead gray
- Porphyro-leucus: purplish white
- Pullatus: clothed in black
- Puniceus: almost purple-red
- Purpureus: bluish purple
R
- Ravidus: dark gray
- Rhabarbarinus: light brownish yellow
- Rosaceus: rosy pink
- Rosellus: pink
- Roseus: rosy pink
- Rubellus: reddish
- Rubens: brick red
- Ruber: dull red
- Rubescens: becoming red
- Ribiginosus: rust red
- Rufidulus: reddish
- Rufulus: reddish
- Rufus: dull red
- Russus: dull red
- Rutilans: purplish brick red
- Rutilus: purplish brick red
S
- Sanguineus: blood red
- Spadiceus: date brown
- Stramineus: straw color
- Sublateritius: lighter than old red tiles
- Sulphureus: sulphur yellow
T
- Testaceus: brick red, rusty tawny
U
- Umbrinus: dark brown, brown horse
- Ustalis: warm reddish bay, between red-ochre and brown-madder
V
- Vaccineus: light bay
- Vinaceus: reddish, near claret colored
- Violaceus: violet, reddish purple
- Virescens: turning green
- Virgineus: pure white
- Viridans: turning green
- Viridis: green (no definite hue)
- Vitellinus: egg-yolk yellow, cantharelle