Changes

''Barteria'' comprises 4 species, which all occur in tropical Africa. ''Barteria fistulosa'' houses large, aggressive ants (''Tetraponera'' spp.). ''Barteria nigritiananigritana'' Hook.f. and ''Barteria dewevrei'' De Wild. & T.Durand house small ants in their hollow branches, while ''Barteria solida'' Breteler does not house any ants. In Nigeria ''Barteria fistulosa'' fruits in March on trees more than 8 m tall (more than 10 years old). The seeds are dispersed by birds and small mammals. Seedlings occur in heavy shade and produce the first hollow, horizontal branches when 1–1.5 m tall; these are colonized by ants. The growth rate is 50–100 cm per year, and the tree dies after 15–30 reproductive seasons, at which time the crown is high enough to be exposed to broken sunlight.

In Cameroon the Baka people use ''[[Barteria nigritana]]'' to treat anaemia and toothache and in Congo the Kouilou and Mayombe people use the bark to treat wounds, scabies and itch. After a wash with the decoction, the affected area is dusted with powdered bark.