A rare plant known as the corpse flower bloomed in Sydney on Friday for the first time in more than a decade, emitting an odour likened to rotting flesh and delighting thousands who queued for a whiff.

The rare unfurling of an endangered plant that emits the smell of decaying flesh has drawn hundreds of devoted fans to a greenhouse in Sydney where they lined up to experience a momentous bloom – and a fragrance evoking gym socks and rotting rubbish.