The rotstert (Afrikaans for rat’s tail), the stem of Babiana ringens which earned the plant its common name, grows erectly, sometimes curved or angular as the two in the photo. This purple stem that tapers to its tip is velvety, covered in short, white hairs.

The side-branch that bears the flowers emerges a little above ground-level from the stem on the specimens in picture; on one of these stems only buds have formed so far. Pale leafy bracts sheathe the stem at its base (Manning, 2007).