The present paper analyses the distribution of bamboos in New World. For convenience, bamboos are divided into two broad groups, the woody bamboos and the herbaceous bamboos. These categories do not necessarily reflect phylogenetic relationships among bamboo groups. The Bambuseae includes all of the woody bamboos and is probably monophyletic, whereas the herbaceous bamboos are classified into eight tribes. In the New World (including underscribed taxa), 45-46 genera and approximately 515 species are represented; only two genera: Arundinaria and Streptogyna are not exclusively neotropical. The area of greatest endemism and diversity is the humid coastal forests of Bahia, Brazil. 22 genera have been found in this relatively small area, representing 48% of all New World genera. Five of the 22 genera are endemic to the Bahia coastal forests.
bamboos; Gramineae; neotropical; endemism