What Is the Need for a Plant to Have Memory?

Abstract

The plant responses to environmental stimuli can be straightforward and streotyped (which is well suited to responding to unknown stimuli or stresses). The learning form of memory enables plants to either enhance or decrease the intensity of their response to a given type of stimulus after having perceived (once or several times) the same stimulus. The storage/recall form of memory enables plants to produce an integrated, updated response to the variety of stimuli that they perceive in the course of time and to synchronize their response with other internal or external events or rhythms.