Love Life of Plants The question does not arise today, but until the late eighteenth century, the sexuality of plants was the subject of much controversy between men of science and men of Church. And it was only in 1694 that Rudolf Jakob Camerarius evolved for the first time evidence of relationship between male and female flowers. Flower Daugey tells the story of this great historical and scientific epoch, the heated debate it has generated, but also the ambiguous symbolism of plants since ancient times, in a beautifully illustrated book.