The bloom has attracted up to 20,000 admirers who filed past, hoping to experience the smell for themselves, with some attendees describing it as "like death," "like poop," and "like sewage water."

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

A rare and revolting spectacle has drawn tens of thousands to Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens, where a foul-smelling flower has finally bloomed.