Aloe flowers

Bracts are prominent among the young buds in several species of Aloe.  The emerging buds at the top of the raceme in picture are more bract than bud for some time.

Variations among flowers, leaves, stems, seeds and other features of plants are studied botanically and lead to the occasional splitting or combining of species. There are always intraspecies variations as well as the more obvious interspecies differences, sometimes compounding  the identification challenges.