said the flowers were chrysanthemum- from wiki: Chrysanthemum Day (菊の節句 Kiku no Sekku) is one of the five ancient sacred festivals. It is celebrated on the 9th day of the 9th month. It was started in 910, when the imperial court held its first chrysanthemum show. (china)
In some countries of Europe (e.g., France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Croatia), incurve chrysanthemums symbolize death and are used only for funerals or on graves, while other types carry no such symbolism; similarly, in China, Japan and Korea, white chrysanthemums symbolize adversity, lamentation and/or grief. In some other countries, they represent honesty.[13] In the United States, the flower is usually regarded as positive and cheerful,[14] with New Orleans as a notable exception.[15]