Bioelectrical Potentials of Philodendron Cordatum: a New Method for Investigation of Behavior in Plants

We explored the prospect of using the bioelectrical potentiaLs of Philodendron cordatum as a new method for studying the behavior of plants. The bioelectrical potentials were recorded from equipment typically associated with EEG recordings. Plants were exposed to a 6-hr. training period of light only, dark only, or alternating 1-min. periods of light/dark. Following training, all plants were exposed to a 10-min. testing period in darkness during which bioelectrical potentials were recorded. Power of the bioelectric potentials was compared between groups of plants for frequencies between 0.1 and 10.0 Hz. Significant main effects of group and frequency were found, raising questions about the possibility of "learning" in P. cordatum.