The tiny "flowers" were supposedly those of the legendary Youtan Poluo
flower or "Udumbara", which has no scientific name. They actually were the
eggs of a lacewing insect and were found attached to a steel pipe. The eggs
are elevated on stalks so the hatchlings do not eat their unhatched
siblings.
It is another interesting plant myth along the lines of the Vegetable Lamb
of Tartary or the Barnacle Goose tree. The website below has links to
photos of the Youtan Poluo.
http://urbanlegends.about.com/b/2007/06/20/flowers-grow-on-steel-pipe-in-china.htm
David R. Hershey
http://www.angelfire.com/ab6/hershey/bio.htm
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