AbstractRiparian forests are ecotonal assemblage of aquatic and terrestrial habitats. The composition of riparian forests of Pamba River is an amalgamation of riverine, evergreen, deciduous and wetland flora. The floristic investigation of the riparian forests of Pamba river basin revealed taxonomically 433 species which include 410 angiosperms, 3 gymnosperms and 20 pteridophytes. The dominant families based on the number of species are Poaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Rubiaceae, Cyperaceae and Fabaceae. The flora consists of a diverse blend of 99 evergreen, 36 deciduous, 50 wetland, 15 shola-grassland, 46 cultivated and 44 riverine components. The river basin holds 17.5 % endemism and 17 RET species. The riparian tree species identified in the present investigation are Barringtonia racemosa, Calophyllum inophyllum, Crateva magna, Dillenia indica, Elaeocarpus tuberculatus, Garcinia gummi-gutta, Humboldtia vahliana, Largestromea speciosa, Neolamarkia kadamba, Ochrenauclea missionis, Syzigium salicifolium, Talipatri tiliaceaum and Trewia nudiflora. It is assumed that these potential tree species might have a crucial role to maintain the ecological integrity of the riparian zones and floodplain for the restoration of Pamba river.