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Clicking any heading in the main data area (at right) will scroll the page back to this top position. Use the following links to jump to the associated section in the main data. Blunting Effect Boring Comments Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Family Name Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Schedules Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Silica Content Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Scientific Name Qualea paraensis Trade Name Mandioqueira Family Name Vochysiaceae Common Names Berg Gronfoeloe, Florecillo, Gonfolo, Gonfolo Rose, Grignon fou, Gronfoeloe, Kouali, Lacreiro, Mandio, Mandioqueira, Mandioqueira aspera, Mandioqueira escamosa, Mandioqueira lisa, Quaruba Regions of Distribution Central America, Latin America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela Common Uses Beams, Boxes and crates, Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Casks, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Concrete formwork, Construction, Decks, Decorative plywood, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Exterior trim & siding, Exterior uses, Factory construction, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Form work, Foundation posts, Framing, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, General carpentry, Glued laminated-beams, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joists, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Living-room suites, Moldings, Plywood, Vehicle parts Environmental Profile Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview Qualea genus contains about 45 species which are widely distributed in the Amazon region and the Guianas. Q. paraensis occurs primarily in the Amazon region. Heartwood Color Purple Red Brown Pinkish brown to reddish brown Occasionally olive brown Sapwood Color Brown White Pink Red Grey Yellowish Brown - light grayish Sometimes distinct from the heartwood. Grain Even Straight Interlocked Straight to interlocked Texture Coarse Medium to coarse Luster Medium to golden Natural Durability Perishable Fair weathering properties Heartwood resistance to decay in Qualea timbers is variable, but the material is generally unsuitable for use under prolonged moist conditions. The timber may surface check severely if it is exposed to the weather without any protective coating. Odor No specific smell or taste Silica Content Contains high levels of silica (> 0.5% of dry weight) Levels of 0.10% (of ovendry weight) have been reported. Silica content of 0.05% is generally believed to be high enough to affect the machining properties of wood Kiln Schedules US=T3-D2/T3-D1 Drying Defects Internal Honeycombing Possible Ring Shakes Collapse Discoloration Warping can be expected Air seasoning accompanied by slight checking Timber should be stacked carefully and dried with mild schedules to minimize degrade Ease of Drying Moderately Difficult to Difficult End-Coating Medium to High Shrinkage Moderately difficult to treat with preservatives Highly prone to staining Dries with little degrade especially if allowed to dry on stump before felling Dries rapidly Tree Size Tree height is 0-10 m Tree height is 10-20 m Tree height is 20-30 m Occasionally trunk diameters reach 100 cm Product Sources The ITTO reports that the species is an important source of timber. The timber is exported in limited quantities. The timber is imported from Brazil into Japan. Comments Timber produced by species in the genus is repoerted to vary widely in appearance and properties, with some bearing some resemblance to Spanish cedar (Cedrela ). Q. paraensis is similar to the African species Iroko (Chlorophora tinctoria ) in mechanical and physical properties Blunting Effect Moderate High silica content in some Qualea species may cause cutting edges and saws to blunt rather rapidly Boring Very good to excellent results Fairly easy to very easy Cutting Resistance Dulls saws severly Difficult to saw Gluing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Satisfactory gluing properties Mortising Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Moulding Fair to Good Results Movement in Service Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Nailing Pre-Boring Recommended Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Planing Very Good to Excellent Results Resistance to Impregnation Resistant sapwood Resistant heartwood Permeable sapwood Permeable heartwood Resistance to preservative treatment varies with species, but the wood is generally moderately difficult to easy to treat. Response to Hand Tools Responds Readily Easy to Work Poor response to hand tools High silica content is reported to contribute to rapid and severe dulling of tool edges Qualea timbers are generally difficult to plane, turn, bore, and work in most machining operations, especially when interlocked grain is present Sanding Very Good to Excellent Results Screwing Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Turning Very Good to Excellent Results Steam Bending Very Good to Excellent Results Staining Very Good to Excellent Results Strength Properties Weight = high Resists denting and marring Moderately hard Max. crushing strength = very high High in density Compression strength (parallel to grain) = very high Bending strength (MOR) = high Compression strength and crushing strength higher than in Teak or Hard maple Strength qualities far superior to those of Mahogany. Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 10883 17207 psi Density 44 lbs/ft3 Hardness 1321 lbs Maximum Crushing Strength 5611 9491 psi Stiffness 1901 2203 1000 psi Toughness 153 inch-lbs Specific Gravity 0.58 Weight 72 43 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % Tangential Shrinkage 9 % Volumetric Shrinkage 12 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 765 1209 kg/cm2 Density 705 kg/m3 Hardness 599 kg Maximum Crushing Strength 394 667 kg/cm2 Stiffness 133 154 1000 kg/cm2 Toughness 176 cm-kg Specific Gravity 0.58 Weight 1153 689 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % Tangential Shrinkage 9 % References Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois, E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Hardwoods - Temperate and Tropical. USDA, Forest Service, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. Chichignoud, M., G. Deon, P. Detienne, B. Parant and P. Vantomme. 1990. Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America. International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO, Centre Technique Forestier Tropical, Division of CIRAD, 45 bis Avenue de la Belle Gabrielle, Nogent-sur-Marne, CEDEX, France. Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison. Record, S.J. and R.W. Hess. 1943. Timbers of the New World. Published on the Charles Lathrop Pack Foundation, Yale University Press, New Haven CT. Teixeira, D. E., M. A. E. Santana and M. Rabelo de Souza. 1988. Amazonian Timbers for the International Market. ITTO Technical Series 1. Brazilian Institute for Forestry Development, Brazil.