The culms or stems of Rhodocoma capensis are simple, characterised by spaced nodes like super-thin bamboo stems. The stems are sturdy, becoming about 2 m tall and arch slightly.

The whorl of finely divided, fertile branchlets found at each stem node gives the plant its shaggy appearance. In the absence of leaves the multitude of green stems do just fine for the plant in the photosynthesis department. Sheaths persist at the nodes (Dorrat-Haaksma and Linder, 2000; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; www.plantzafrica.com).