Sydney’s botanic gardens haven’t had a bloom of the corpse flower, which only lasts about 24 hours, in 15 years.

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) — The rare unfurling of an endangered plant that emits the smell of decaying flesh drew hundreds of devoted fans to a greenhouse in Sydney, Australia on Thursday, where they lined up to experience a momentous bloom -– and a fragrance evoking gym socks and rotting garbage.

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."