Thousands are waiting for the rare flowering of the smelly plant

An endangered plant known as the 'corpse flower' because of its unpleasant odor is about to flourish in Australia – and has caught the attention of the internet in the process, with thousands already tuning in to a live stream ahead of its debut.

The Titan Arum plant, found in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, blooms only once every few years for just 24 hours.

It's called Putrichia, and it will give off a scent described as “wet socks, hot cat food, or rotting opossum meat.”

The long wait and uncertainty about when Putrescia will bloom led to jokes and even unique language in the live chat, with thousands commenting “WWTF” or “We Watch the Flower.”

The present view is not much: Potricia stands silent and tall in front of a brown curtain, comfortably hidden behind a red velvet rope. Occasionally, a visitor appears in the frame taking a selfie with the plant.

But once it blooms, viewers can expect to see putresia unfolding its vibrant maroon or crimson skirt, known as a spadix, around the spadix, a large bump in the middle of the plant.

The gardens said it was “difficult to predict exactly when” Botrychia will bloom, but that did not stop thousands from gathering online.

One commenter wrote: “I'm back to see how Potricia is doing and I can see she's still taking her time like a queen, with fair play.” Another said: “This is the slowest comic ever.”

Another person wrote: “Overnight I watched, slept, woke up, watched, slept. I'm weak, but Potricia is strong. WWTF.”

Other popular abbreviations among viewers include WDNRP (We're Not Rushing Potteria) and BBTB (Blessed Bloom).

The plant can only be found in the rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia, where it is known as bunga bangkai – or “corpse flower” in Indonesian. Its scientific name is Amorphophallus titanum, which is derived from the ancient Greek language and means “giant deformed penis”.

It has the largest flowering structure in the world, as it can reach 3 meters (10 feet) in length and weigh up to 150 kilograms. The plant has several hundred flowers at the base of its pollen.

They are threatened with extinction in the wild due to deforestation and land degradation.

Botricia is one of several giant sedges at Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens, which last saw bloom 15 years ago.

But there have been other flowers blooming across Australia in recent years, including in the Melbourne and Adelaide Botanic Gardens, each time attracting thousands of curious visitors keen to get a whiff of them.

There are also a few of them in Kew Gardens in London, where One bloomed in June last year. The giant pomegranate first flowered outside of Sumatra in 1889 in Kew.