[5] The witches cauldron is an ascomycete or sac fungus, meaning that its microscopic structure utilizes the ascus, a spore-bearing cell, for sexual reproduction.

The organism's preference of well-drained, nutrient-rich soil near rivers and streams within light spruce forests has caused the fungus to go extinct in several central European countries.

It is native to Canada, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United States.

The witches cauldron is found along streams and brooks in Northern Europe, where it has been studied and observed most thoroughly in Estonia, Finland, and Sweden, while in Norway it has become nearly extinct.

[5] Some of the habitats of this fungus have been destroyed due to human activity associated with urban sprawl, such as the building of roads and houses, or forestry.