It thrives in a diverse array of habitats spanning temperate to boreal-montane regions, across Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia.

Originally described by Swedish botanist Erik Acharius in 1799 as Lichen limosus, it was reassigned by various taxonomists, and received its current accepted name Enchylium limosum in 2013 by Mónica Andrea García Otálora, Per Magnus Jørgensen, & Mats Wedin.

[3] The specific epithet "limosum" is derived from the Latin word "limosus", meaning "full of mud" or "slime", which aptly describes the dark, wet thallus characteristic of this lichen.

[5][6]Enchylium limosum was originally described by Swedish botanist Erik Acharius in 1799 under the name Lichen limosus in "Lichenogr.

[14] In 2013, Mónica Andrea García Otálora, Per Magnus Jørgensen, & Mats Wedin proposed its current accepted name, Enchylium limosum.

[2][3] Enchylium limosum is a diminutive crustose to subfoliose lichen species that forms a delicate, gelatinous thallus ranging from 100 to 500 micrometers in thickness when fully hydrated.

[7][2] The apothecial disc displays a flat to convex topography, ranging in color from reddish-brown to dark brown-black, and is bordered by a thick, often verrucose or lobulate thalline margin.

[7] The asci of E. limosum are cylindrical-clavate in shape, containing (2-) 4 spores,[15] with a distinctly thickened apex and a downwardly projecting, deeply blue-staining (K/I+) tubular structure.

[7][2] E. limosum is considered a diminutive lichen species, characterized by its crustose thallus that is often more developed in the areas surrounding the relatively large and conspicuous apothecia, which contain 4-spored asci.

[21] E. limosum is recognized as a typical pioneer species, commonly colonizing bare, often calcareous soils, including anthropogenic habitats such as quarries and spoil heaps, though its presence in these areas is generally temporary.

This suggests the species is not exclusively found in natural or undisturbed habitats but can also colonize semi-natural environments with some level of human activity.

[7] Enchylium limosum is a widely distributed lichen species with a holarctic range, occurring across temperate to boreal-montane regions of Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia.

[7][2][22] Within Europe, the species has been recorded from a number of countries, including Italy, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, and France.

Similarly, in the Campania region, the species has been found in the Monti di Castellammare area, which falls within the submediterranean ecological zone.

[25] The island of Sardinia also plays host to a known occurrence of E. limosum, with a population recorded along the western coast near the town of Buggerru, again within the submediterranean belt.

[7][25] In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the species is considered locally distributed but widely scattered, with records from damp clay soils and exposed, soft coastal cliff faces.

[21] Outside of Europe, this lichen has been recorded in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec, as well as the U.S. state of Minnesota.

[1] In the Canadian North, E. limosum has been documented in the Southern Arctic and Taiga Plains ecozones, typically growing on calcareous soils.

[26] Ecologically, Enchylium limosum is considered a typical pioneer species, commonly colonizing bare, often calcareous soils in disturbed habitats such as quarries, spoil heaps, and setting pits.

[21] Within its distribution range, E. limosum has been observed growing on a variety of substrates, including mineral, clay, and sandy soils, as well as on terricolous mosses and plant debris.

[7][25] The conservation status of the lichen species Enchylium limosum varies considerably across its known geographic range, with limited and sometimes conflicting assessments available.

[1] Minnesota Department of Natural Resources have listed E. limosum in their "Plant and Fungi watchlist" due the species' recent decline in the state.

[28] Conversely, in Great Britain, the species is assessed as Least Concern (LC) according to the NBN Atlas Partnership and the British Lichen Society, suggesting it is not currently considered a conservation priority in that region.