Giant Amorphophallus Titanium opened

Visitors flock to the Huntington Botanical Garden in California to watch and smell the ephemeral blooming of a corpse flower, which smells of "rotting flesh" according to gardener.

A giant Amorphophallus Titanium opened its less-than-delicate petals this week at the Huntingdon Library near Los Angeles, an event that only comes once every few years.

The bloom, which stands as tall as a human being, is actually a collection of hundreds of little flowers, both male and female, opening at slightly different times, and has been preparing for its moment in the spotlight for around a month.

But like all the best floral treats, think of the delicate ephemerality of Japan's famous cherry blossom, but stinky and smelling of dead thing. Visitors on Monday flocked to see the corpse flower in all its pungent splendor.