Any idea what this plant is?

Ok, so firstly...Do you have any idea what this plant is?





Secondly, do you have any idea why it seems to be dying? I don't know how well the photos show it, but some of the orange balls have started to shrivel quite a lot and some of the plant underneath and around the top of the pot have turned black:



I had the plant for my birthday about 3 weeks ago, and i think it was bought about 2-3 weeks before my birthday. Any help would be muchly appreciated!

 

It is Nertera depressa (aka N. granadensis) or 'Coral Bead plant'; a native of New Zealand and naturalised in many cool temperate parts of the world. It grows best in lightly shaded, damp, but not wet, coolish conditions and although is often sold as a 'houseplant', it rarely does very well in a typically heated home. It forms quite attractive, very low mounds when planted out in a sheltered garden and prefers humus enriched 'peaty' soils that remain moist yet are free draining. It ill not tolerate a hard frost, but if compost is gently worked in around the stems during early autumn, it will grow back in spring provided the winter has not been too harsh. Very insignificant, tiny greenish flowers give way to the bright coral red berries, which remain quite showy for several weeks, but will ultimately shrivel and die away. Blackening of the leaves and stems indicates that the plant is being kept too wet.

 

Hmmm, i'll try not watering it til it's dried out a little and see if it improves any! Cheers for the info!