also: ぬかご
noun
bulbil; propagule; brood bud
A small aerial tuber that forms on the stems or leaf axils of certain plants, especially the Japanese yam (Dioscorea japonica). Used in cooking and propagation.
山芋のむかごを集めて、炊き込みご飯を作った。
I gathered yam bulbils and made takikomi gohan (seasoned mixed rice).
むかごは、地面に落ちるとそこから新しい芽を出す。
When bulbils fall to the ground, they sprout new shoots from there.
Rare kanji spelling; the reading is a jukujikun (special kanji reading).
Alternate reading variant, also a jukujikun.
The origin is uncertain. The word is native Japanese, and the kanji 零余子 is a jukujikun (meaning-based reading) rather than a phonetic representation.