A large, tussock-forming sedge with long, arching leaves. The leaves are tough and fibrous, dark green on top and paler underneath. The bright orange-red fruits are a distinctive feature, hanging in clusters from the centre of the clump. The fruits are the plant's most striking feature. They are bright orange-red, almost fluorescent, and appear in summer and autumn. They are fleshy and sweet, eaten by birds which disperse the seeds. The fruits were also eaten by Māori. The leaves are long and narrow, up to 2 metres in length. They arch outward from the centre of the clump, forming a fountain-like shape. The leaf margins are sharply serrated, capable of cutting skin. Māpere is common in lowland and coastal forests throughout New Zealand. It grows in forest understorey, often along tracks and in damp gullies. The large clumps provide shelter for birds and insects. To find māpere is to walk the lowland forest. Look for the large clumps of arching leaves, the bright orange-red fruits. The fruits are a flash of colour in the green forest. It is a plant of the shady places, a sedge of the forest floor.