Language                                                   Name

Noongar-Wudjari (W8):                 

Noongar-Nyoongar/Baaduk (W41):       Ngaamar boyak djilbaa

Common name:                                         Swamp Wallaby Grass, Common Swamp Wallaby Grass

Scientific name:                                         Amphibromus nervosus 

Group name for Plants

Wudjari:                                                        Dek

Nyoongar/Baaduk:                                     Dek

Nyoongar:             ngaamar = waterhole, boyak = on the rock, djilbaa = grass

Looks like: 
Nyoongar: Fresh green long grass growing out of the middle of water in shallow ngaamar holes. 

Feels like: 
Nyoongar: It is soft green grass. It is hollow inside - like a tube.

Tastes like: 
Nyoongar: Sweet and starchy. 

Smells like: 
Nyoongar: No smell - just like watery grass.

Food:
Nyoongar: The grass is eaten. 

Medicine: 
Nyoongar: Is a water source, some protein too. 

Other uses:

Nyoongar: Only grows in water in ngaamar holes, on top of rocky outcrops.

Nyoongar: It’s a survival plant. Only grows in water around ngaamar holes and indicates good water. The kangaroos love it.

Nyoongar: Food source. Keeps water clean.

Nyoongar: Mostly grows in Mookaroo (winter) and Djilba (early spring). Bonar Djilba means season of fresh grass.

Birak
 

Boonaroo
 

Djeran
 

Mookaroo
Nyoongar: Growing and thriving in the wet weather.
 

Djilba
Nyoongar: Growing and thriving in the early spring.
 

Kambarang

Nyoongar: Around Esperance, there are some waterholes are as big as baths. These plants are integral to the ecological system of Australia, and Taalyaraak Country.

Nyoongar: People would know that out of two ngaamar holes, one would be for people, and one would be for animals. The ngaamar for human consumption would be covered to keep it clean. This one would always have a stick in it so that insects and little birds didn’t drown - they could use the stick to get out. In the beginning of winter, they would go out and clean the ngaamar holes. Aunty Gail has done this since she was a child and found many artefacts inside the ngaamar holes.

Nyoongar: They are connected to all plants and animals which drink from the ngaamar.

Nyoongar: All plants and animals are connected to the outer world.

Nyoongar: Ngaamars were made by people using fire. They would light fires to crack layers of rock and dig them out. Only certain people were allowed to do that - no women or kids were involved because when you heat rock it flies off like bullets. The ngaamars would be carefully placed into places where they saw water would flow naturally - to make sure it fills up each year. To settle the water in Ngaamars, fire ash would be put inside to settle all the debris to the bottom. At the end of summer we used to go out with the old people and clean out all the ngaamar holes - especially the places where there were both human and animal ngaamars. The human ngaamar has a rock lid and a stick so small animals can get out. The other has no lid so animals can drink from it. It is essential to preserve these plants rather than clear land, because they only grow in certain areas.