All species are ground-dwelling and ectomycorrhizal (forming an association with living trees) and are typically found in woodland.

The generic name is derived from the Greek ῦγρὁς (= moist) + φόρος (= bearer), with reference to the slimy caps found in many species.

Recent molecular research, based on cladistic analysis of DNA sequences, suggests that Hygrophorus (minus Hygrocybe) is a monophyletic (and hence natural) genus.

[7] Fruit bodies of Hygrophorus species are all agaricoid, most (but not all) having smooth caps that are viscid to glutinous when damp.

The lamellae beneath the cap are usually distant, thick, waxy, and broadly attached to decurrent.

[8] Species of Hygrophorus are ectomycorrhizal, most forming associations with trees (both broadleaf and conifer) and hence typically found in woodlands.

[10] Fruit bodies of a few species are considered edible and are collected and consumed locally (sometimes sold in markets) in Spain and eastern Europe, China and Bhutan, and Central America .