The family Balsaminaceae, which contains the species-rich genus Impatiens and the single-species genus Hydrocera (H. triflora), is essentially herbaceous and is nested into a largely woody clade of Ericales. Lens et al. compare a molecular phylogeny of Balsaminaceae with wood anatomical observations to determine whether the woodier species are derived from herbaceous relatives (i.e. secondary woodiness), [...]