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.

Alongside being one of the biggest flowers in the world, the endangered Bunga Bangkai is known for the stench that oozes from it when it blooms. According to the Botanic Gardens Of Sydney website, it has been described as “rotting flesh”, “wet socks”, “hot cat food” or for a more specific picture, “rotting possum flesh”.

Visitors gathered in Sydney to witness the blooming of a rare flower known as the "corpse flower," which opens for just 24 hours, once every few years.