Meerningal and Maungeran? or Djilba and Kambarang?, Platysace filiformis or Platysace compressa?
Day 10 Flora a Day Lowlands Reserve 3 November 2020
I’ll have to leave my precise ID for another day. Flowering today, an aromatic flatleaved species in the Platysace genus.
This one is not the famous Ravensthorpe radish, youlk, Platysace deflexa, bearing edible tubers, cultivated and harvested by Noongar people. https://academic.oup.com/biolinnean/article-abstract/130/1/61/5814167
Our Lowlands Reserve Platysace has strongly aromatic essential oils which scent the air, especially when you rub the leaves between your fingers. I don’t think it has large tubers. It is either Platysace filiformis (per “Flora of SouthWest”, mainly summer/autumn flowering/Nov to Feb) or Platysace compressa (flowers spring/summer, again per “Flora of the South West”)
The narrower width of stalks/leaves and the morphology of the fruits indicate filiformis, but spring flowering and coastal heath location indicates compressa. And of course intermediates occur.
The “platy” in platysace means flat. I can just call it “tapeworm plant” or “ninat" (Noongar word for tapeworm) after its flat leaves.
Which season are we in? Is it Djilba or Kambarang, or in the local dialect Meerningal or Maungeran? Its been quite rainy in early November and also in September (our dams are full for the first time in years) , but October was the driest October on record.
South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council, (noongarculture.org.au ), gives this list of Whadjuk Noongar seasons:
Birak — December and January, the first summer
Bunuru — February and March, the second summer
Djeran — April and May, autumn
Makuru — June and July, the first rains
Djilba — August and September, the second rains
Kambarang — October and November, the wildflower season
BOM has this: “ Each of the six seasons represents and explains the seasonal changes we see annually. The flowering of many different plants, the hibernation of reptiles and the moulting of swans are all helpful indicators that the seasons are changing. The Nyoongar seasons can be long or short and are indicated by what is happening and changing around us rather than by dates on a calendar”
BOM is using the term “hibernation of reptiles” as a generalisation. Research is more often focussed on reptiles activity cycles which differ with the weather. I see reptiles in Lowlands Reserve all year round. Granted, the reptiles are often less active or seen less often in the cold season , as they are ectothermic. However, I have mostly seen the Bardick snake on cooler days or early evenings. Reptiles are very cheap to heat, small or infrequent meals are enough. They only need about 10% of food required by other similar sized mammals. Our little honey possums need so much more. However, being slow to respond in cooler times, can make our lizards vulnerable. The photo is of regurgitated lizard remains a metre up on the horizontal gate post , dropped I think by a bird of prey. Owls, kookaburras, raptors all regurgitate indigestible lizard parts
The Minang Peoples names for the seasons are different to those more often seen on other Noongar sources , see City of Albany:
The names of the Noongar seasons above feature on the City of Albany banners on York Street. see https://www.albany.wa.gov.au/documents/281/community-update-york-street-banners-noongar-seasons .
The Albany Minang names are sourced from local research as well as from Isaac Scott Nind’s 1831 Description of the Natives of King Georges Sound. see https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/1797657.pdf .
Djilba and Kambarang are Meerningal and Maungeran in Minang Albany.
Mulvaney and Green’s 1828 Journals of Captain Collet Barker has this appendix on Noongar seasons, Barker’s list misses out November and December and Collie’s list misses April:
I think something lost in translation from this wikimedia site, see pic ! Climate change causing Minang seasonal slippage perhaps?https://incubator.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wp/nys/Minang_Seasons#cite_note-3
Hedging their bets, as we get 6 seasons in one day here, the City of Albany are currently displaying 5 of the 6 banners on our main street, with Whadjuk as well as Minang season names
Also signage in the York Street gardens , have Minang Noongar names
But no matter, its not that important what names we call the seasons — After all, the Americans call Autumn “Fall”
My fundraising for Bush Heritage #groundworkchallenge is going well . To join my team or donate go to https://www.groundworkchallenge.org.au/fundraisers/sheilamurray/2020?fbclid=IwAR2HbNn0YsCCc3tiSK-_lbF5xLsssaD8wjGHaUwVYrRqYxM-kdJkijoj2N0
Follow me on instagram and twitter @lowlandsbeach . https://www.instagram.com/lowlandsbeach/
https://twitter.com/lowlandsbeach
Connect with me via Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheila-murray-2730491bb/
Lowlands Reserve is managed by the local community and City of Albany. Bush Heritage manage lots of other wonderful reserves.
Lowlands Reserve is on Minang Boodja — country. I celebrate the resilience, culture and capacity of the traditional owners, the Minang Noongar people of the Wagyl Kaip region.
