XVI International Botanical Congess

The woody bamboos (Bambuseae) are represented in the Andes by 118 described species in nine genera. None of the genera is endemic but 105 or 89% of the species are known only from the Andes. Twelve species in two genera are known from the Austral Andes (Chile and Argentina), 40 species in seven genera are recorded from the Central Andes (Peru and Bolivia), and 81 species in nine genera occur in the Northern Andes (Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela), with two species shared between the Austral and Central Andes and nine species shared between the Central and Northern Andes. Chusquea and Neurolepis together account for 64% of Andean woody bamboo diversity. The extensive radiation in the Andes of the Chusquea-Neurolepis clade, one of two major neotropical woody bamboo clades, will be discussed.