Moraea MM 19-72

Seed parent: MM 13-197a (M. lurida X villosa form h)

Pollen parent: MM 13-45a ((atropunctata x calcicola) X villosa form d)

I'm starting to see a trend in many of the second-generation lurida crosses. The first generation often has intriguing color patterns, but the second-generation flowers settle into a kind of blandness. This flower, for example, has a nice pinkish tint, and I like the veins, but overall it's kind of blah. The eyes are small and black, and the color of the central cup is similar to the tepals. It's interesting, but it isn't all that pretty to my eye. For other examples, see MM 19-71 and MM 19-69.

A year later, more individuals opened (below). None of them are spectacular, but they're growing on me. There's an understated elegance to their veins and muted colors, kind of like a pinstripe suit.

MM 19-72a

MM 19-72b

MM 19-72c

MM 19-72d

Here's a group portrait.