Cantua buxifolia
Species of plant / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cantua buxifolia, (/ˈkæntjuə bʌksɪˈfoʊliə/, Hispanicized spellings cantuta, cantu), known as qantu, qantus or qantuta (Quechua,[1]) is a flowering plant found in the high valleys of the Yungas of the Andes mountains in western South America. Also known as the Peruvian magic tree,[2] it is an evergreen shrub growing to 4 m (13 ft) tall by 2.5 m (8.2 ft) wide with small leaves and clusters of brilliant pink, narrow tubular flowers in early spring.
Cantua buxifolia | |
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Cantutas in the garden of Qurikancha (today's Convento Santo Domingo) | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Ericales |
Family: | Polemoniaceae |
Genus: | Cantua |
Species: | C. buxifolia |
Binomial name | |
Cantua buxifolia | |
It is the national flower of Peru and one of two national flowers of Bolivia, the other being the patujú (Heliconia rostrata).The Bolivian national flower is in fact a particular variety of qantuta, the qantuta tricolor, which has red petals, a yellow floral tube and a green calyx,[citation needed] reflecting the colors of the national flag.
The Latin specific epithet buxifolia means "with leaves like Buxus (box)".[3]
This plant requires sheltered conditions where the temperature does not fall below −5 °C (23 °F). In climates colder than that, it should be grown under glass but may be placed outside in summer. This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[2]