Moraea MM 11-146

Seed parent:  Moraea MM 03-05a
Pollen parent: Moraea MM 03-98c

Pedigree: (aristata x (atropunctata x neopavonia)) X (atropunctata x calcicola)

This one is special because it’s the only offspring I’ve ever gotten from MM 03-05a, a flower that looks like a pale yellow M. aristata. That hybrid is very vigorous, but its anthers are little dried-up sticks with no pollen, and although I have tried dozens of crosses on it, only one of them ever set a single viable seed. That seed grew into this plant.

The flower is very difficult to photograph. The tepals are a very pale shade of orange, with very pale purple veins on them. As you can see in the photographs here, to photograph the orange color you have to underexpose the rest of the flower. In person, the colors are subtle but distinct.

The center of the flower is pale orange. Overall, the flower is elegant and understated. Or maybe I just feel that way because it was so darned hard to breed.

MM 11-146a