“Pinanga subterranea is the only known species of palm to flower and fruit below ground,” said Dr Benedikt Kuhnhäuser, a future leader fellow at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, who was part of the research team that collected specimens and ascertained that it was a new species. “Flowering and fruiting below ground is mind-boggling and seemingly paradoxical because they appear to prevent pollination and dispersal. We now know bearded pigs eat and disperse Pinanga subterranea’s fruits, but we’ve yet to find out how and by whom the flowers are pollinated.”
Encourage citizen scientists… And also talk to locals and encourage knowledge-sharing. Much of the field is changing positively in this regard but no doubt old-school attitude esp in the harder sciences was very dismissive and patronizing of local experience. So yeah, this is encouraging.