Thousands of fragrant plants are waiting for a rare flower

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Getty Images A crowd of people looking at a tall spiky plant behind a red velvet rope and in front of a brown curtain. — Putricia sits behind a velvet rope in the Sydney Botanic Gardens.

An endangered plant known as the “corpse flower” for its putrid smell is about to bloom in Australia – and has captivated the internet in the process, with thousands already tuning in to its grand debut.

The Titan Arum plant in Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens blooms only once a year for 24 hours.

Affectionately named Putricia, it emits an odor described as “wet socks, fresh cat food, or rotting cat meat.”

The long wait – and the uncertainty of when the putricia will bloom – prompted jokes and even some unique lingo on live chat, with thousands commenting “WWTF” or “we’ll see the flower”.

The present view is not much: Putricia stands still and in front of a long brown curtain, tucked comfortably behind a red velvet cord. Occasionally, a visitor will step into the frame as they take a selfie with the plant.

But once it blooms, viewers can expect to see Putricia spreading a bright honey or crimson mantle around her spadix, a large spike in the center of the plant.

The gardens say it is “difficult to predict exactly” when the putricia will bloom, but that hasn’t stopped thousands of people flocking online.

“I’m back again to see how Putricia is doing and still taking her time like Queen Fair Play,” one commenter wrote. “This is the slowest Bursky ever,” said another.

Still another wrote: “I watched at night, I slept, I woke up, I watched, I slept. I’m weak, but Putricia is strong. WWTF.”

Other popular acronyms among viewers are WDNRP (We Don’t Rush Putricia) and BBTB (Blessed Be The Bloom).

Here in Indonesia in the wild, the Titan Arum can reach up to 3 meters

Getty Images A man in a uniform stands beside a large plant in a maroon dress and long brown spikes in the countryside. — Here in Indonesia in the wild, the Titan Arum can reach up to 3 meters

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 and means “giant misshapen penis”.

It has the largest flower structure in the world as it can grow up to 3 meters (10 feet) tall and weigh up to 150 kilograms. The plant bears several hundred flowers at the base of the spadix.

It is endangered in the wild due to deforestation and land degradation.

Putricia is one of several titan arums at Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens, where a flower was last seen 15 years ago.

But in recent years there have been other corpse flowers across Australia, including at the Melbourne and Adelaide Botanic Gardens, each time drawing thousands of curious visitors.

There are also a few housed in Kew Gardens in London. One bloomed in June last year. The Titan Arum was in Kew for the first time outside Sumatra in 1889.