Thousands of people are expected to turn out to smell the "stench of rotting flesh" after a rare "corpse flower" finally bloomed.
A titan arum flowered on Saturday for the first time in 11 years at Cambridge University Botanic Garden.
The bloom lasts just two days days and emits its smell to attract pollinators.
About 1,000 people queued in the first four hours after the news was announced. More are expected later with the garden staying open until 22:00.
Cambridge University titan arum flower attracts crowds
19 July 2015
BBC News
The titan arum finally bloomed late on Saturday afternoon
Thousands of people are expected to turn out to smell the "stench of rotting flesh" after a rare "corpse flower" finally bloomed.
A titan arum flowered on Saturday for the first time in 11 years at Cambridge University Botanic Garden.
The bloom lasts just two days days and emits its smell to attract pollinators.
About 1,000 people queued in the first four hours after the news was announced. More are expected later with the garden staying open until 22:00.
People queued late into the night when the garden announced its plant had bloomed
The titan arum - Amorphophallus titanum - took its time to open, having first shown signs it might bloom on 6 July.
'Atrocious stench'
In the past week fans have been on "flower watch", with vast numbers logging on to view a live webcam trained on the plant, causing the camera to crash a number of times.
When another specimen flowered in 2004 at the garden, about 10,000 people turned up to see it, with a further 250,000 enjoying the spectacle via webcam.
A view of the interior of the titan arum
The plant thrilled staff when it eventually started to open
This latest specimen has been nicknamed "Tiny Titan" as it is well below the normal flowering weight of 33lb.
It finally began to bloom late on Saturday afternoon.
The pungent plant emits its foul odour mainly at night by heating itself up to about 104F.
"The heat helps to distribute sulphurous compounds - the atrocious stench - across vast distances in its native Sumatra to lure its pollinators, thought to be carrion beetles and blowflies," Prof Beverley Glover, director of the garden, said.
"The stink, which comes in pulses through the night, has been described as being like 'rotten eggs', 'dead donkey', 'dirty laundry' and 'smelly feet'," she added.
However, staff are keen to know what visitors think, and are collating these "smells" via Twitter @CUBotanicGarden using #tinytitan.
The flower comes from the Indonesian island of Sumatra
The Botanic Garden will be open until 22:00 BST on Sunday to enable visitors to smell titan arum "at its night-time stinkiest".
The titan arum began to show signs of flowering for the first time on 6 July
Cambridge University Botanic Garden
Cambridge University titan arum flower attracts crowds - BBC News
A titan arum flowered on Saturday for the first time in 11 years at Cambridge University Botanic Garden.
The bloom lasts just two days days and emits its smell to attract pollinators.
About 1,000 people queued in the first four hours after the news was announced. More are expected later with the garden staying open until 22:00.
Cambridge University titan arum flower attracts crowds
19 July 2015
BBC News
The titan arum finally bloomed late on Saturday afternoon
Thousands of people are expected to turn out to smell the "stench of rotting flesh" after a rare "corpse flower" finally bloomed.
A titan arum flowered on Saturday for the first time in 11 years at Cambridge University Botanic Garden.
The bloom lasts just two days days and emits its smell to attract pollinators.
About 1,000 people queued in the first four hours after the news was announced. More are expected later with the garden staying open until 22:00.
People queued late into the night when the garden announced its plant had bloomed
The titan arum - Amorphophallus titanum - took its time to open, having first shown signs it might bloom on 6 July.
'Atrocious stench'
In the past week fans have been on "flower watch", with vast numbers logging on to view a live webcam trained on the plant, causing the camera to crash a number of times.
When another specimen flowered in 2004 at the garden, about 10,000 people turned up to see it, with a further 250,000 enjoying the spectacle via webcam.
A view of the interior of the titan arum
The plant thrilled staff when it eventually started to open
This latest specimen has been nicknamed "Tiny Titan" as it is well below the normal flowering weight of 33lb.
It finally began to bloom late on Saturday afternoon.
The pungent plant emits its foul odour mainly at night by heating itself up to about 104F.
"The heat helps to distribute sulphurous compounds - the atrocious stench - across vast distances in its native Sumatra to lure its pollinators, thought to be carrion beetles and blowflies," Prof Beverley Glover, director of the garden, said.
"The stink, which comes in pulses through the night, has been described as being like 'rotten eggs', 'dead donkey', 'dirty laundry' and 'smelly feet'," she added.
However, staff are keen to know what visitors think, and are collating these "smells" via Twitter @CUBotanicGarden using #tinytitan.
The flower comes from the Indonesian island of Sumatra
The Botanic Garden will be open until 22:00 BST on Sunday to enable visitors to smell titan arum "at its night-time stinkiest".
The titan arum began to show signs of flowering for the first time on 6 July
Cambridge University Botanic Garden
Cambridge University titan arum flower attracts crowds - BBC News