They're bearded, spotted, striped and scented. And they're the stars of a three-day extravaganza at the 2013 Orchid Affair starting Friday in Fort Lauderdale. The Fort Lauderdale Orchid Society show and sale -- one of the largest in the country -- bursts into bloom at the War Memorial Auditorium from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday through Jan. 20, with thousands of specimens on sale from 28 vendors. Many of them are local growers, but some travel from China and South America. "We're celebrating the show's 55th anniversary,"says Allen Cogar, 56, president of the Fort Lauderdale society, which has about 350 members. "We are one of the largest and most well-respected shows in the nation and one of the few that still have American Orchid Society judging." Get tickets at FLOS.org. -- Doreen Christensen