EAST LANSING - Over the past week, an estimated five thousand visitors waited hours in line through both rain and heat outside Michigan State Universities Plant Science Greenhouse to catch a glimpse and perhaps a sniff, of the 5-foot corpse flower.

The attraction is not only due to it being the largest un-branched inflorescence in the world, or to the rare blooming, but unlike most other flowers, this one has a odd distinct odor.

If the corpse is not pollinated within 24-hour span, the flower will collapse and die similar to a tulip.

However unlike most other plants, it only blooms on average every ten years so visitors only have a few days to catch the flower alive.

For more information and updates, you can visit online at the W.J Beal Botanical Garden Facebook page.