Cantua is a small genus of flowering shrubs in the family Polemoniaceae (the phlox family), placed in the order Ericales. The genus is endemic to central South America, with species distributed across the high Andean valleys of Bolivia, Peru, and neighboring countries — habitats known as the Yungas, the subtropical moist montane forest zones on the eastern slopes of the Andes.\n\nPlants in the genus are typically evergreen shrubs reaching up to 4 metres in height. They bear small, simple leaves and produce showy, narrowly tubular flowers in clusters, most often in shades of brilliant pink, red, or yellow in early spring. The floral tube structure is characteristic of the genus and reflects an adaptation to hummingbird pollination, which is common among high-Andean Polemoniaceae.\n\nThe most celebrated member of the genus is Cantua buxifolia, known in Quechua as qantuta or qantu and in Spanish as flor del Inca or sacred-flower-of-the-Incas. It is the national flower of Peru and one of two national flowers of Bolivia, where a tricolor variety with red petals, a yellow floral tube, and a green calyx mirrors the colors of the Bolivian national flag. The species has also received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit, attesting to its ornamental value in cultivation.\n\nGBIF recognizes five accepted species in the genus. Synonyms at the genus level include Huthia Brand, Periphragmos Ruiz & Pav., and Tunaria Kuntze.
Etymology
The genus name Cantua derives from the Quechua word qantu (also written qantuta or cantuta), the indigenous Andean name for Cantua buxifolia, the most prominent species. The Quechua name was Hispanicized by early botanists and adopted into Latin nomenclature. The species epithet buxifolia means "with leaves like Buxus" (box), describing the small, box-like foliage of that species.
Distribution
Cantua species are restricted to central South America, growing primarily in the high Andean valleys of Bolivia, Peru, and adjacent countries. Many species are local endemics within their countries of occurrence. Cantua buxifolia in particular inhabits the high valleys of the Yungas — the subtropical moist montane forest zones on the eastern slopes of the Andes.
Cultural Uses
Cantua buxifolia holds deep cultural significance across the Andes. It is the national flower of Peru and one of two national flowers of Bolivia; the Bolivian symbol is specifically the tricolor qantuta variety, whose red petals, yellow floral tube, and green calyx reflect the colors of the Bolivian flag. In Quechua, the plant is called qantuta or qantu, and in Spanish it is known as flor del Inca, magic-flower-of-the-Incas, or sacred-flower-of-the-Incas. An Inca legend associates the bloom with the unity of the people, with its colors representing two royal sons who forgave each other in death; the story is recounted in Antonio Díaz Villamil's Leyendas de mi tierra.
Cultivation
Cantua buxifolia, the most widely cultivated species, requires a sheltered position where temperatures do not fall below −5 °C (23 °F). In cooler climates it should be grown under glass but may be moved outdoors during summer. It has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit, recognizing its ornamental merit and reliable performance in suitable conditions.
