A Peruvian flower also known as the sacred flower of the Incas, with red or orange tubular blossoms.
From Quechua (Incan language) 'kantuta' or 'qantu,' the indigenous Andean name for this plant. The Spanish preserved the Quechua name when they colonized South America, and it entered English through scientific and botanical texts.
The Cantuta was so sacred to the Incas that it was featured on their royal coats of arms—when the Spanish arrived, they kept the Quechua name because the plant's significance was undeniable!
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