Enchylium conglomeratum thrives in relatively acidic conditions and moderate light levels, typically growing on the bark of hardwood trees such as oak and walnut, as well as occasionally on calcareous rocks.

[note 2] Belonging to the family Collemataceae within the phylum Ascomycota, this species is classified under the class Lecanoromycetes and the order Peltigerales.

[6][7] Enchylium conglomeratum, formerly identified under various synonyms, has undergone taxonomic revisions over time, resulting in a list of historical names used in scientific literature.

[3] The thallus of Enchylium conglomeratum has a diminutive, foliose to subsquamulose[note 3] appearance when hydrated, attaining a gelatinous thickness of up to 500 micrometers.

It forms rounded, cushion-like formations measuring 2–10 millimeters wide, which are often anchored at a central point and can merge to cover larger areas.

The thallus consists of a sparse arrangement of flattened, 0.5–1.5 mm wide lobes that are appressed to erect, typically branched, and distinctly swollen with margins ranging from entire to crenate or lobulate.

The upper surface exhibits a dark olive-green to brown or black coloration, lacking any pruina and varying from smooth to rarely warty, without isidia present.

[8][6] The thalline excipular layer of E. conglomeratum lacks a cortex, while the proper exciple exhibits a euthyplectenchymatous (elongated) construction, reaching up to 20 micrometers in lateral thickness.

The asci are 8-spored, cylindrical-clavate, with a strongly thickened apex and a downward-projecting, deeply blue-staining tubular structure when treated with potassium iodide.

[6] E. conglomeratum also exhibits a poleotolerance rating of 1–2,[6] indicating it typically occurs in natural or semi-natural habitats, and is not as tolerant of heavily disturbed areas.

[18] Known as "conglomerate jelly lichen",[19] it was initially documented growing on various substrates, including rotten wood, bark, and rocks in Germany.

[4] By the end of the 1800s, Collema conglomeratum had been documented by Harvard University's Farlow Herbarium throughout various regions of the United States, such as Missouri, Massachusetts,[20] and Tennessee.

[30] It has been observed in several other states including Colorado, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming.

Across the Atlantic, E. conglomeratum is known to occur in numerous regions of Italy, including Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige, Lombardy, Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Liguria, Tuscany, Marche, Umbria, Lazio, Abruzzo, Sardinia, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, and Sicily.

Historically, the lichen appears to have been more widespread, but it is now frequently restricted to the vicinity of small mountain valley settlements, where local populations can be relatively abundant.

[31] At the state level, the species is also ranked as SNR (unranked) in Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming.

[32] British Lichen Society, using the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria has designated Enchylium conglomeratum as Extinct (Ex) in their most recent assessment as of March 2024.

[34] However, despite its apparent disappearance from Switzerland, E. conglomeratum is still recognized as a high priority species for conservation efforts at the national level.