Plants   Over 2,500 species of plants have been registered in Botswana, 650 of which are woody plants. The natural distribution of vegetation in the country is strongly connected to rainfalls. Marsh-herbs, lilies, reeds and papyrus mark the environment of the Okavango Delta, where you can find plenty of verdant islands covered with palm trees and acacia. The Kalahari Desert is completely different, as it is characterised by all types of savannah: shrub savannah with thorn, grass savannah and semi-arid areas with sand dunes on the south-west.   The dominant woodland species in the southern regions is acacia in its different forms - black thorn and camel thorn, which some animals find delicious and Bushmen use for making logs and for healing purposes. In the milder north the acacia gives way to mopane, baobab and marula: nowadays Bushmen still use its fruit to brew their home-made beer and its wood to create their typical handicrafts.