Morontes is a cross of the infamous Cardinal Mercier and Mrs. Eley. On both sides it has a rather interesting geneology: Mrs. Eley has that historic touchstone of breeding for great size Christopher 'Grand Duke Nicholas' as a parent, and Cardinal Mercier (which is according to various sources either a clone of or a hybrid of Lathamianum) went on to be of great import in breeding reds through its progeny of Atlantis 'The Cardinal'. That plant, Atlantis 'The Cardinal', is the plant I'm the most upset to have killed of anything ever in my collection. It may well have been the last piece...I sure hope it's in Japan somewhere.
In any event Morontes was bred by Moore in 1935 in England and traveled with Bracey across the ocean; it was shown by him and awarded an HCC/ODC in 1953. For whatever reason, it never received a clonal name. In 1964 the same plant was shown by Santa Barbara Orchid Estate and awarded an HCC by both the AOS and ODC at the 19th Santa Barbara Orchid Show under the clonal name 'Del Mar', which was the clonal name given to many SBOE plants at that early time in the history of Dr. Chrisman's estate.
So here it is, again probably the first time ever pictured in color anywhere:
In any event Morontes was bred by Moore in 1935 in England and traveled with Bracey across the ocean; it was shown by him and awarded an HCC/ODC in 1953. For whatever reason, it never received a clonal name. In 1964 the same plant was shown by Santa Barbara Orchid Estate and awarded an HCC by both the AOS and ODC at the 19th Santa Barbara Orchid Show under the clonal name 'Del Mar', which was the clonal name given to many SBOE plants at that early time in the history of Dr. Chrisman's estate.
So here it is, again probably the first time ever pictured in color anywhere:
