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.

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 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.