National emblem of Andes but not Australia

National flower of Peru, co-national flower of Bolivia, locally known as Qantu, Qantus or Qantuta, and known in Melbourne Gardens as Magic Flower of the Incas, Cantua buxifolia hardly needs any more names or titles.

But more there are: Magic Tree, Sacred (rather than Magic) Flower of the Incas, Sacred (and possibly Magic as well) Flower of the Andes. Or simply, Flor del Inca (Flower of the Incas).

The shrub itself is a bit lack lustre, with droopy branches and not much shape to it. The species name means like a box, or Buxus, referring to the small oval-shaped leaves. Again, not that inspiring. As you can plainly see...

The flowers are why people grow and name it. They are built for hummingbird pollination, which always makes for a charming bloom. The colour of the flowers can be quite vivid, with one cultivar called 'Hot Pants'. You see here why the term 'electric pink' is sometimes used for the bell-shaped part of the flower.

There are about 12 species of Cantua (a name obviously based on the local names such as Qantu), all from the Andes, but Cantua buxifolia is the only one we grow and one of three you might find in cultivation in Australia. The other two have smaller, yellow flowers.

As to what kind of plant this is, it's in the phlox family, Polemoniaceae. Which many help. 

According to an Incan legend, the pink and yellow of the flower are said to represent the sons of two waring families, buried together to bring an end to this feud. When the floral tube is green as well as pink and yellow, that extra colour is said to symbolise hope.

Today the flowers are still used in festivals and events in the Andes, and as a source of a yellow dye. Those branches I dissed earlier, can be used to weave baskets.  

Mostly, though, it's a bright little gem in late August, when colour is in short supply. And the closeness of the name to our national airline, Qantas, is pure coincidence. For those of you who are not locals, the name is an acronym of Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services.