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.

It's been 15 years since the foul-smelling flower showed its petals in Sydney, but the rare Amorphophallus titanum – also known as a corpse flower – is finally blooming.The flower, known for its smell of rotting flesh,

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.

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

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 long wait and uncertainty as to when Putricia will bloom - has spawned jokes and even a unique lingo in the livestream's chat, with thousands commenting "WWTF", or "We Watch the Flower". The current view is not much: Putricia stands silent and tall in front of a brown curtain,