Comparison of the Munsell and Royal Horticultural Society's color charts in describing flower color

Abstract

The flower color of daylily (Hemerocallis L.) cultivars at the U. S. National Arboretum, Washington, D.C. was documented using the Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (RHSCC) and the Munsell Book of Color (MBC). The RHSCC descriptions did not allow discrimination between cultivars that were distinguishable by eye. The MBC, however, allowed the description of colors that fell between color chart chips, and had the ability to compare the specific color attributes of different cultivars of similar color. The ability to interpolate colors with the MBC allows a greater accuracy in documentation and discrimination of floral color.