The biggest, stinkiest, smelliest flowering plant in the world blossomed this week allowing visitors of Kew Gardens to take a whiff of its pungent stench.

The amorphophallus titanum, or titan arum as it is known, now opens several times a year thanks to greater understanding of the botanical behemoth.

When the giant plant first arrived at Kew the frequency of its flowerings, and the unleashing its unique aroma of decay, was measured in decades.

Housed in the wet tropics zone of the Princess of Wales Conservatory, the titan arum rises up to 3m above ground and its single immense leaf and funky smell makes it a rarity in the plant world.