Dar es Salaam province of Tanzania (Africa)

Bathgate:

This is definitely not African Tulip Tree. It looks like a huge Bougainvillea. They can grow gigantic. There's large ones here in San Diego like this one.

Did it have a huge trunk? Even very large, old Bougainvilleas can have a large trunk. If you have a photo of the trunk maybe I can identify it.

All of the ones I've seen look like this one. I was on work assignment and didn't have time or permission to take a closer look at the trunk. I normally just see the tops towering over walls. I've never seen the trunk. It looks like a giant schrub.

Most likely it's a Bougainvillea variety. Bougainvillea commonly grows very large and like a shrub when old. Think of it as a mounding shrub. It's a common sight along the freeways, parks and in the home landscape.

Bougainvillea can also climb up a 60 foot or taller palm tree. In Balboa Park there's Bougainvillea which have trunks more than 12" in diameter...most likely they're close to 100 years old.

Bougenvillia.