[2] The species is widespread in temperate regions, occurring in grassland in Europe and in woodland in North America and elsewhere.

The specific epithet comes from Latin "irrigatus" (= watered or bedewed), with reference to the viscid coating of the fruit bodies.

The lamellae (gills) are whitish to pale cap-coloured and more or less decurrent (widely attached to and running down the stipe).

[7] In Europe, Gliophorus irrigatus is typical of waxcap grasslands, a declining habitat due to changing agricultural practices.

The slimy waxcap is one of the commoner species, however, only appearing on the red lists of threatened fungi in a few countries, including the Czech Republic,[8] Germany (Bavaria),[9] and Poland.