Mandioqueira Lisa
Scientific name: Qualea dinizii
Overview
Mandioqueira Lisa is a tropical hardwood native to the Amazon rainforest of northern Brazil. It belongs to the Qualea genus within the Vochysiaceae family and is one of several species marketed under the trade name Mandioqueira. The species is valued for its straight grain, reliable strength, moderate weight, and excellent workability. Its attractive light to medium brown heartwood makes it a versatile timber used for furniture, cabinetry, flooring, interior joinery, construction, and general woodworking. While not as well known internationally as Jatobá or Garapa, Mandioqueira Lisa has earned a solid reputation throughout South America as a dependable commercial hardwood.
Quick Facts
- Common Name: Mandioqueira Lisa
- Scientific Name: Qualea dinizii
- Region: South American Hardwoods (Brazil)
- Tree Size: 100–150 ft (30–45 m) tall, 2–4 ft (0.6–1.2 m) trunk diameter
- Average Dried Weight: Approximately 45 lbs/ft³ (720 kg/m³)
- Janka Hardness: Approximately 1,430 lbf
- Grain: Mostly straight
- Texture: Medium
Identification Characteristics
Mandioqueira Lisa produces a heartwood that ranges from light brown to medium reddish-brown and gradually darkens with age. The sapwood is pale cream to yellowish and clearly distinguished from the heartwood. Unlike some other members of the genus, the grain is typically quite straight, giving rise to the trade name Lisa, meaning “smooth” or “straight” in Portuguese. The wood has a medium texture, moderate natural luster, and generally uniform appearance.
Key identification traits include:
- Light brown to reddish-brown heartwood
- Pale cream to yellow sapwood
- Predominantly straight grain
- Medium texture
- Moderate natural luster
- Uniform appearance with minimal figure
Working Properties
Mandioqueira Lisa is considered an easy hardwood to machine and is well suited for both production woodworking and custom projects. Its straight grain allows for clean planing and shaping with minimal tear-out. The wood glues, nails, screws, sands, and finishes well, making it suitable for a wide range of interior applications.
- Machines cleanly
- Planes with little tear-out
- Turns well
- Gluing performance is good
- Nails and screws securely
- Sands to a smooth finish
- Accepts stains and clear finishes well
Safety Note
Wood dust may cause skin, eye, or respiratory irritation in sensitive individuals. Appropriate dust collection, eye protection, and respiratory protection are recommended during machining and sanding.
Common Uses
Thanks to its straight grain, dependable strength, attractive appearance, and excellent machining characteristics, Mandioqueira Lisa is used for numerous woodworking applications, including:
- Furniture
- Cabinetry
- Flooring
- Interior millwork
- Architectural joinery
- Doors
- Paneling
- General construction
- Woodturning
- Utility lumber
Sustainability & Notes
Mandioqueira Lisa is harvested from tropical forests in northern Brazil and is commonly sold alongside other Qualea species under the broader Mandioqueira trade name. Because multiple species share this commercial designation, botanical identification is recommended whenever possible. Sustainable harvesting practices and responsible forest management help ensure the continued availability of this important regional hardwood while supporting conservation of Amazonian forests.
Comparative Notes & Related Species
Mandioqueira Rosea – A closely related Qualea species with similar working properties but generally displaying a slightly more reddish heartwood.
Garapa – Another South American hardwood valued for its durability and structural performance, although typically lighter in color.
Jatobá – A much denser and harder South American hardwood commonly selected for heavy-duty flooring, stairs, and structural applications.
Related Guides
How to Identify Exotic Hardwood by Grain Pattern – Discover how grain patterns can help distinguish tropical hardwoods with similar color and texture.
Moisture Content & Long-Term Stability – Understand how proper drying and acclimation improve dimensional stability and long-term woodworking performance.
Building a Documented Wood Collection – Learn how to properly identify, catalog, and preserve uncommon hardwood species for educational and personal collections.
Compare Wood Properties
See how this species ranks in density and hardness using our Wood Density & Janka Hardness Chart. You can also explore Hardest Woods, Softest Woods, and Most Dense Woods for quick comparisons.
Collector Notes
Mandioqueira Lisa is an excellent addition to any South American hardwood collection because it represents one of the lesser-known commercial species harvested from the Amazon Basin. Its straight grain, dependable woodworking performance, and importance within the Qualea genus make it a valuable reference specimen. Whenever possible, collectors should document the country of origin, supplier, harvest location, and scientific name, as many Mandioqueira species are marketed under the same common name.
Share Your Photos of This Species
Do you have lumber, wood samples, tree photographs, woodworking projects, furniture, carvings, turnings, musical instruments, or other items made from this species?
Exotic Woods of the World welcomes photographs from woodworkers, collectors, sawyers, researchers, and wood enthusiasts around the world. Selected submissions may be featured on this page and throughout our website to help document and showcase real-world examples of this species.
When submitting photos, please include the common name, scientific name (if known), a brief description, and any information you would like us to share with the image.
Wood Sample Collection
This species is part of an ongoing effort to document and preserve wood samples from around the world.
Learn more about contributing to the collection:
Resources
Authoritative botanical and forestry references used in compiling information about this species include:
• USDA Forest Service – Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material
https://www.fpl.fs.usda.gov/products/publications/
• The Wood Database – Global reference for wood identification, physical properties, and woodworking characteristics
https://www.wood-database.com/
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – Plants of the World Online – Botanical taxonomy and species distribution database
https://powo.science.kew.org/
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN Red List) – Global conservation status assessments
https://www.iucnredlist.org/
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) – International trade regulations for protected plant species
https://cites.org/
Additional forestry publications, academic research papers, and regional timber studies may also be referenced where available.
Love This Species?
Enjoy learning about this wood species?
Help support the continued growth of Exotic Woods of the World by participating in our Adopt a Species program. Your support helps fund species research, educational content, photography, videos, and future conservation awareness initiatives.
Support Forest Conservation
This species is part of the growing Exotic Woods of the World reference archive, dedicated to documenting and preserving knowledge of the world’s wood species.
Through the Adopt a Species program, visitors can help support ongoing species research, educational content, photography, video production, and future conservation awareness initiatives.
Contributions help fund the continued expansion of this archive while promoting sustainable forestry education and the long-term appreciation of the world’s forests.
Interested in supporting this species? Visit our Adopt a Species and Conservation Partners pages to learn more.
Availability & Where to Buy
Exotic hardwood availability can vary significantly depending on region, sustainability regulations, and supplier inventory.
As this archive grows, recommended suppliers and specialty wood retailers will be listed here to help woodworkers locate responsibly sourced material.
Lumber Suppliers:
Availability varies — see the Where to Buy Exotic Woods page for current sources.
Related Tools & Products:
Availability varies — see the Where to Buy Exotic Woods page for current sources.
Share This Wood Species
Stay Connected
Follow the latest species additions, educational resources, videos, conservation initiatives, and major project milestones through our Site Updates archive.
The Site Updates archive provides a permanent record of new content, library growth, and future developments across Exotic Woods of the World.