The Neotropics is one of the most biodiverse regions in the planet. This region has a complex geological history that began during the break of Gondwana, which separated the South American and African continents in the Mesozoic, at ca. 150 million years ago. All the geological changes that followed greatly impacted the diversification of the fauna and flora of this region. However, it is still not clear what processes led to the high diversity found in this region. This study focuses on Stizophyllum (Bignonieae, Bignoniaceae), a small genus of Neotropical lianas, distributed from Mexico to southern Brazil. Although Stizophyllum is well circumscribed, species limits remain complicated in this group and little is known about its evolutionary history. This study aims to: (i) reconstruct the phylogeny of the genus and use it as a basis to infer the biogeographical history of this group, and (ii) develop nuclear and plastid microsatellite markers (SSRs) for future studies on the phylogeography and population genetics of this group. To this end, we reconstructed the phylogeny of the genus based on three molecular markers (ndhF, rpl32-trnL and pepC) and a broad sample of individuals, using Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood approaches. We then estimated divergence times of the various lineages and recontructed the biogeographical history of the group. Lastly, we developed nuclear microsatellite markers (nSSRs) and chloroplast microsatellite markers (cpSSRs) for the group. In total, we developed thirty-seven SSRs, nine from the nucleus and twenty-eight from the chloroplast. All markers amplified successfully in S. riparium and transferability was sucessful to S. inaequilaterum and S. perforatum. Five main clades were reconstructed in the molecular phylogeny of the group, all of which are characterized by good morphological markers and here recognized as species in an updated synopsis of the group: (i) S. inaequilaterum Bureau & K. Schum., distributed through the Amazon and Central America; (ii) S. perforatum (Cham.) Miers, distributed through the Atlantic Forest and the Dry Areas from Central Brasil; (iii) S. riparium (Kunth) Sandwith, distributed throughout the Amazon Basin; (iv) S. flos-ardeae (Pitter) Beyer & L.G. Lohmann, distributed through Central America; and, (v) S. coriaceum Beyer & L.G. Lohmann, restricted to the state of Pará, in Eastern Amazonia. The biogeographic study indicated that the ancestor of Stizophyllum and its sister-group Martinella was broadly distributed through Amazônia. These lineages dievrsified during the Eocene, while the diversification of Stizophyllum species occurred during the Miocene, from an ancestor that was broadly distributed through the Neotropics. This dissertation brings new information for the assembly of the Neotropical biota and contributes important data for a broader multidisciplinary project on this topic (FAPESP 2012 / 50260-6)