Chris Thorogood studied parasitic plant biology for his PhD at the University of Bristol where he then worked as a postdoctoral researcher. Chris has taught field courses to university students with Simon Hiscock in the Algarve since 2006, during which time they documented the flora of the region, and he currently studies the flora of the western Mediterranean basin and has a particular interest in parasitic plant speciation. Simon Hiscock is Professor of Botany in the Biological Sciences Department, University of Bristol and Director of the University of Bristol Botanic Garden. He has lead botanical field courses in the Algarve since 2002 and his main areas of research include plant evolutionary genetics and plant reproduction.