also: ほたぎ
noun
kindling; tinder; firewood chips
Small pieces of wood or chips used to start a fire. Often associated with traditional fire-making.
See also: 榾
焚き火を起こすために、まず榾木を集めた。
To start the campfire, we first gathered kindling.
noun
mushroom-growing log
A log used as a substrate for cultivating mushrooms, especially shiitake. Common in agricultural contexts.
この地域では、榾木にしいたけの菌を植え付けて栽培している。
In this region, they inoculate mushroom-growing logs with shiitake spawn.
The kanji 榾 is obscure and specifically means 'wood chips' or 'kindling'. The word likely derives from 火 (ほ) and 焚き (たき), meaning 'fire burning', with rendaku voicing to だぎ. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.