As noted above, there is relatively little permanent swamp here. Small patches of papyrus are found though, usually in photogenic little clumps beside the main Boro River. Look carefully and you’ll also find areas of common reeds (Phragmites australis), Miscanthus grass (Miscanthus junceus), bulrushes (Typha capensis) and a number of floating leafed, emergent and submerged species.
Perhaps the major feature of the area is some splendid, mature patches of riverine forests that line sections of the Boro River. Here you’ll find lots of real fan palms (Hyphaene petersiana), often in beautiful dense stands. There’s also a scattering of all the ‘usual suspects’ that you’d expect in riverine forest in the region, including leadwoods (Combretum imberbe), jackalberries (Diospyros mespiliformis), knobthorns (Acacia negrescens), sausage trees (Kigelia africana), large fever-berries (Croton megalobotrys), woodland waterberries (Syzygium guineense) and occasional baobab trees (Adansonia digitata). However, perhaps the area’s most unusual flora are the huge strangler figs (Ficus species, probably thonningii, natalensis or fischeri). There are several specimens here enveloping large leadwood trees – an amazing sight.
On the larger island, and particularly on Chief’s Island (in Moremi, but visited from these camps), you’ll find permanently dry forest areas. These vary from mopane woodlands in areas of clay soil, to areas of acacias where there’s more sand.
In the deepest areas of sand you’ll find Terminalia sericea – the source of the best wood from which to craft traditional mokoro poles.
Adjacent to the river are large areas of very shallow floodplains. A wide variety of grasses, sedges and herbs are found in these areas with various species of Eragrostis, Imperata, Panicum, Aristida and Cymbopogen being common. Over 200 plant species have been recorded here, though the floodplains are very often dotted with a sparse covering of Imperata cylindrica – a plant sometimes known as ‘silver spike’, which has long, rigid leaf spikes growing from a rhizome, some with a small ‘spikelet’ at the end.