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.

Known for its smell of putrid, rotting flesh, a Corpse Flower has bloomed for the first time in 15 years at the Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney on Thursday (January 23). The botanical gardens chief scientist Brett Summerell explains the reason for the smell and visitors share their impressions of the flower.

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

Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden became the center of fascination as an endangered corpse flower, infamous for its foul odor and rare bloom.

For the first time in 15 years, Putricia - the corpse flower with a vomit-smelling perfume - will flower for only about 24 hours before it withers and dies. Join us for rolling coverage of this long-awaited event.

"Amorphophallus gigas," nicknamed the "corpse flower" for the rotting flesh odor it emits, is expected to bloom at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden this week.

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, Australia

The corpse flower is an endangered plant that blooms just once every few years for only 24 hours. One such plant living in Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens is set to bloom and has been called "Putricia" due to its putrid smell.

The flower's Latin name translates as "giant, misshapen penis." But it's better known to locals as "Putricia." Royal Botanical Garden Sydney has even set up a livestream in anticipation.