Moraea MM 11-30

Seed parent: MM 03-04b (M. aristata X calcicola)
Pollen parent: MM 99-00b (M. atropunctata X neopavonia)

This cross is between a pale purple flower with a dark center and an orange flower with a dark center. I was expecting mauve or purple flowers, but instead I got a white one and a bright clear yellow.

You can see a similar cross here: MM 11-37.

MM 11-30a. At first glance it's not a very distinguished flower, kind of a dirty white color with dark eyes. But check out those crazy yellow inner tepals. Where did those come from?

MM 11-30b. Okay, a purple flower and an orange flower produce...yellow? Obviously recessive genes or some other complex genetic mechanism are at work. Whatever the cause, this flower made me very happy. Several years ago, I bred my first yellow Moraea hybrid, MM 09-04a. It was a pretty little thing that set seeds well and had fertile pollen. But all of the corms of it died over the summer. Bad potting soil, maybe, or just bad luck. I've been trying to breed another yellow one ever since, with limited luck until this flower came along. It's bright yellow, and unlike many yellow Moraea hybrids, this one doesn't fade in the sun. Now if I can just do something about that uninteresting black eye...