clumps up in the coastal forest shade
- Size
- Height: 1–2 m, Spread: 1–1.5 m, large dense clumps
- Lifespan
- 10–20 years
- Diet
- Photosynthetic. Draws energy from sunlight. Obtains nutrients from moist, well-drained soils in forest environments.
- Habitat
- Lowland and coastal forests, forest margins and scrub. Prefers moist, well-drained soils with partial shade. Often forms large clumps in forest understorey.
- Range
- Throughout New Zealand from Northland to Stewart Island. Most common in lowland and coastal forests. Also found on Chatham Islands.
- Endemism
- Endemic
- Main Threats
- Habitat loss from land clearance is primary threat. Browsing by introduced possums and deer. Climate change affecting forest habitats.
- Population
- Populations considered stable and widespread. Species common in lowland forests throughout New Zealand. Threatened by ongoing habitat loss.
- Conservation Status
- Not Threatened
- Human Risk
- caution
- Handling Note
- sharp sedge leaves cause skin lacerations, wear long pants when walking through
- Conservation Note
- Endemic sedge; widespread in wetlands and damp forests throughout New Zealand.
- Assessment
- NZTCS Vascular Plants (2023)
- Te Ao Māori
- In Māori tradition māpere valued for bright fruits and tough leaves. Orange-red fruits eaten fresh. Leaves used for weaving baskets or kete and fish traps or hīnaki. Name māpere refers to fruiting plant. Plant also used medicinally. Plant of forest. Gathered by those who knew shady places. Sweet fruit from understorey.
Birds eat its bright fruits. Gahnia xanthocarpa is large, tussock-forming sedge. Long, arching leaves. Tough and fibrous. Dark green on top and paler underneath. Bright orange-red fruits distinctive feature. Hanging in clusters from centre of clump.
Fruits are plant's most striking feature. Bright orange-red almost fluorescent. Appear in summer and autumn. Fleshy and sweet. Eaten by birds which disperse seeds. Fruits also eaten by Māori.
Leaves are long and narrow. Up to 2 metres in length. Arch outward from centre of clump. Forming fountain-like shape. Leaf margins sharply serrated. Capable of cutting skin.
Māpere is common in lowland and coastal forests throughout New Zealand. Grows in forest understorey. Often along tracks and in damp gullies. Large clumps provide shelter for birds and insects.
To find māpere is to walk lowland forest. Look for large clumps of arching leaves. Bright orange-red fruits. Fruits are flash of colour in green forest. Plant of shady places. Sedge of forest floor.
The forest understorey is dark. Māpere grows tall. Arching leaves sharp. Orange-red fruits bright. Birds come. Fruits disappear. Sedge does not mind.
That is point. It carries on regardless.