The Collaborative International Dictionary
Zedoary \Zed"o*a*ry\, n. [F. z['e]doaire, LL. zedoaria; cf. It. zedoaria, zettovario, Pg. zedoaria, Sp. zedoaria, cedoaria; all fr. Ar. & Per. zedw?r.] (Med.) A medicinal substance obtained in the East Indies, having a fragrant smell, and a warm, bitter, aromatic taste. It is used in medicine as a stimulant.
Note: It is the rhizome of different species of Curcuma, esp. Curcuma zedoaria, and comes in short, firm pieces, externally of a wrinkled gray, ash-colored appearance, but within of a brownish red color. There are two kinds, round zedoary, and long zedoary.
Wikipedia
Curcuma zedoaria, zedoary, white turmeric or kentjur, (known as కచొరము kacōramu in Telugu) is the name for a perennial herb and member of the genus Curcuma, family Zingiberaceae. The plant is native to India and Indonesia but now naturalized in other places including the US State of Florida. It was introduced to Europe by Arabs around the sixth century, but its use as a spice in the West today is extremely rare, having been replaced by ginger.