One of the largest - and smelliest - plants in the world has graced Kew Gardens with a rare blooming.
The Titan Arum, which is said to smell like dirty nappies and rotting flesh, opened its huge petals for just over 24 hours after weeks of anticipation.
The flower, consisting of a spathe up to three metres in circumference and a central yellow spike known as a spadix, typically draws huge crowds when it does make an appearance and police have even been called to control visitors in the Princess of Wales Conservatory.
When the flower dies back, a single leaf emerges, which reaches the size of a small tree at up to six metres in height. Sugars produced in the leaf are transported back to the plant's base for storage as starch and, eventually, a new spathe emerges.
For more information on the Titan Arum go to kew.org/plants/titan
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