Basidiocarps (fruit bodies) of the type species are disc-shaped, gelatinous, and occur on dead wood, probably as a saprotroph.

Platygloea was proposed in 1887 by German mycologist Joseph Schröter for fungi with auricularioid (tubular and laterally septate) basidia and effused, waxy or gelatinous fruit bodies.

von Höhnel claimed that Achroomyces was an older name for the genus,[7] a synonymy considered dubious by some[4] but adopted by the influential Dutch mycologist M.A.

As predicted by Robert Bandoni, Platygloea has been divided into several new genera, including Colacogloea,[9] Naohidea,[10] and Occultifur,[10] all of which were originally differentiated by their micromorphology or ultrastructure.

Their status as monophyletic (natural) genera has been confirmed by molecular research, based on cladistic analysis of DNA sequences.