A rare plant known as the corpse flower bloomed in Sydney on Friday for the first time in more than a decade, emitting an odour likened to rotting flesh and delighting thousands who queued for a whiff.

An endangered plant known as the "corpse flower" for its putrid stink is blooming in Australia - and captivating the internet in the process, with thousands already tuned in to a livestream to witness its grand debut. The titan arum plant, housed in the Royal Botanic Gardens of Sydney, blooms only once every few years for just 24 hours.

Thousands queue in Sydney to see and smell a corpse flower bloom for the first time in 15 years :::: Sydney, Australia:: Rony Varghese, Sydney resident:: "Probably close to, like rotten egg, or like something of like sulfur,

For a week the plant has graced a gothic display in front of a purple curtain and wreathed in mist from a humidifier at Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden.