Seed, there is no easy answer to this question. The color descriptions are how the hybridizer has written the description for registration. Some hybridizers take the time to write really detailed descriptions of the color and markings, listing various shades or colors in a multicolor eye for instance. Other hybridizers may just say "with an eye" or with a "multicolored eye". Sometimes there is a problem with misuse of terms, calling something an eye when it should be watermark, or eye when the bloom has a band. Self is another commonly misused term. The most common way of listing seems to be the overall or base color is listed first then the markings, eyezone, midrib, edge...the texture may be added, velvet or creped for example... throat color is typically listed last.
Registration has been so much better since Kevin Walek became registrar (
for Kevin!). Prior to this written descriptions were...changed/shortened...leaving out details in a blooms appearance. Kevin allows the hybridizer to describe all the blooms details, if they desire, something which is very important for registration. Hybridizers send in the completed registration form with an image to represent each cultivar. Daylilies do not require a bloom to be preserved for accurate identification, many genus do, or get as detailed as say Passiflora where every part of the bloom is carefully measured (and they have a lot of parts!)
I wrote an article in 2012 for ATP called Daylilies, a Rainbow of Color,
http://garden.org/ideas/view/C...
this may help clarify what some of the descriptive terms mean in relation to color and placement on a bloom...but even if you know the terms it can still make a search difficult if a hybridizers description doesn't include them or uses them incorrectly. Adding in the other descriptions such as height, size, ploidy etc. helps to narrow down a search. With all the eyes ( human
) and cultivar knowledge here on ATP we appear to have a pretty good percentage for identifying NOID's for folks
Not sure this answered your question completely...
