Personal Statement
Hugh McAllister has studied groups of plants, especially woody genera, in which knowledge of their chromosome numbers would help understand their evolution and phytogeography. The University Botanic Gardens at Ness provided the growing space for trees received as seed to reach maturity so that flowering and fruiting specimens could be studied, and, at the same time, their conservation significance evaluated and their value for landscaping and horticulture assessed. Several new species have been described, and many more reduced to synonomy, and this work continues as recent acquisitions reach maturity.

Research Overview
Major current projects
1) Taxonomic revision of Spiraea – Cultivation and study of all available species with the target of the publication of an RHS monograph on the genus.

2) Follow-up work on Sorbus (rowans), Betula (birches), Hedera (ivies), Campanula rotundifolia (harebell, Scots bluebell), (and) following publication of monographs.

3) Projects on Alnus (alders), Malus (apples), Cotoneaster, Deschampsia cespitosa (tufted hair grass) and Festuca rubra.

Current international collaborations with -
Dr. Matthew Bowser, Kenai Wildlife Refuge, Alaska (Betula, Campanula); Dr. Tim Dickinson, London, Ontario, Canada (Apomixis, Pyreae); Dr. Brittany Sutherland, Tucson, Arizona (Campanula); Dr. Roman Ufimov, Komarov Botanical Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia (Pyreae); Dr. Nian Wang, Assistant Professor, Shandong Agricultural University, China (Betula).