Emilio Chiovenda (1871–1941) is one of the very few Italian botanists devoted to the study of East African succulent plants. A short biography is presented, that emphasizes his contributions to the study of the East African succulent flora and the new taxa he described. It is shown that in his studies on tropical African botany, Chiovenda described 53 new genera and about 1,300 new species and infraspecific taxa. His contribution to the knowledge of the flora of tropical North East Africa remains a lasting memorial. Two previously unpublished photos of Chiovenda, unpublished drawings of Caralluma rivae, and a selected bibliography are included.