Nearly two-thirds of extant bromeliads belong to two large radiations: the core tillandsioids, originating in the Andes ca. 14.2 Ma, and the Brazilian Shield bromelioids, originating in the Serro do Mar and adjacent regions ca. 9.1 Ma.

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Puya (Bromeliaceae), a large genus of terrestrial bromeliads found throughout a range of elevations in the Andes and central Chile, is of great systematic, evolutionary, and biogeographical interest. This first molecular phylogenetic study of Puya and related bromeliads employs matK, trnS-trnG, rps16, and PHYC sequences. Chloroplast DNA, nuclear DNA, and combined DNA data all place Puya closest to subfamily Bromelioideae. Nuclear and combined data support Puya as monophyletic, and the two subgenera are nonmonophyletic. All data indicate that the Chilean species of Puya are early diverging within the genus, consistent with Chilean genera as the first-diverging members of subfamily Bromelioideae. Central Chile is identified as a key region for understanding the biogeographical history of Bromeliaceae, as is true with other South American plant groups. A complicated history involving early chloroplast capture and later secondary hybridization and/or introgression is seen in Chilean lineages. These events help explain the occurrence of sterile inflorescence tips, floral color and shape, and leaf indument. The ecological radiation of Puya appears coincident with the final, recent rise of the Andes and subsequent high-elevation habitat diversification. Additionally, geographical distribution, rather than moisture or elevational adaptations, correlates to species relationships. Evolution of CAM photosynthesis has occurred multiple times.

Puya (Bromeliaceae), with > 200 species, is a classic example of a recent, rapid species‐level radiation in the Andes. To assess the biogeographical history of this primarily Andean species group and the evolution of different life histories, amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) data were generated for 75 species from throughout the geographical range of the genus. Distribution data for latitudinal and elevational ranges were compiled for almost all species. The greatest number of species is found at mid‐elevations and mid‐latitudes south of the equator. The genus originated in central Chile and first moved into the Cordillera Oriental of the central Andes via inter‐Andean valleys. Cladogenesis progressed in a general south to north direction tracking the final uplift of the Andes. All taxa north of the Western Andean Portal form a monophyletic group implying a single colonization of the northern Andes, with no subsequent transitions back south from the Northern Andes. Repeated evolutionary transitions of lineages up and down in elevation are suggestive of allopatric speciation driven by Pleistocene glaciation cycles. True semelparity evolved once in P. raimondii, with similar semi‐semelparity evolving repeatedly in páramos of the northern Andes. Fieldwork and phylogenetic characterization of high‐elevation Puya are priorities for future efforts. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, ●●, ●●–●●.