The yellow cordia or "muyuyo" (Cordia lutea) shown in the picture is a native species, meaning that is found in the Galapagos Islands but also on the mainland of Ecuador and Peru. It is a small tree or shrub up to 8 meters tall, very common in the arid zones of many islands. This plant is easy to identify because of its beautiful bright yellow trumpet-shaped flowers. The flowers have a sweet fragrance that attracts pollinators. Its fruits are white and round.
The flowers are one of the favorite sources of nectar for the Galapagos sulfur butterfly and the Galapagos carpenter bee. The carpenter bee's method of removing nectar, called "nectar robbing," involves making a small slit at the base of the corolla. Then, without ever entering the flower, it sucks out the nectar. This behavior is referred as "robbing" because the bee receives its reward, but no pollination occurs.
Galapagos mockingbirds and rats eat the fleshy fruits and land iguanas eat the flowers. When eaten by humans, the fruit is pleasingly sweet when first tasted, but soon becomes bitter. The yellow cordia in the arid zone always attracts the attention of our visitors, not only because of its beauty but also for its interesting interactions with the animals that benefit from its fruits and flowers.
