Rare corpse flower set to bloom in Qld

A rare corpse flower in far north Queensland could bloom in time for New Year's Day.

The rainforest flower, listed as endangered, is on the verge of unfurling at Cairns Botanic Gardens.

It comes in the same week that another titan arum bloomed in Mount Lofty Botanic Garden in Adelaide, attracting long queues of visitors.

The famously brief bloom lasts just 24 hours.

"While the fragrance it emits is not the most pleasant, the inflorescence is truly a wondrous sight," Cairns Botanic Gardens curator David Warmington said.

However, the unpleasant odour, likened to rotten meat, serves an important purpose.

"It attracts carrion-eating beetle sand flies that pollinate the plant."