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.

The endangered plant's rare unfurling has captivated the internet and inspired a series of memes and nicknames.

The flower has been said to smell like rotting flesh, wet socks or hot cat food, and only stinks for 24 hours after blooming.

An endangered tropical plant that emits the stench of a rotting corpse during its rare blooms has begun to flower in a greenhouse in Sydney

A livestream of a "corpse flower" due to bloom in Sydney's botanic gardens has captivated the internet.