Symbolism: Rue's flowers: How do they appear in the novel?

The flowers represent Rue herself (Rue was named after a flower) . They represent the beauty and innocence of a child that has just been sacrificed for entertainment. As a small rebellion, Katniss decorates Rue's body with flowers, a type of funeral that is antithetical to the murderous raison d'etre of the Games, even though she knows they'll never allow that detail to be aired on TV. She touches three fingers to her lips and raises her arm to Rue's body as it is removed, using a traditional District 12 salute.