It consists of woody species from tropical regions, including some giant bamboos. Their sister group are the small herbaceous bamboos from the tropics in tribe Olyreae, while the temperate woody bamboos (Arundinarieae) are more distantly related. The Bambuseae fall into two clades, corresponding to species from the Neotropics (subtribes Arthrostylidiinae, Chusqueinae, and Guaduinae) and from the Paleotropics (subtribes Bambusinae, Hickeliinae, Melocanninae, and Racemobambosinae).[2]