Hygrophorus was first published in 1836 by Swedish mycologist Elias Magnus Fries. The generic name is derived from the Greek ῦγρὁς (= moist) + φόρος (= bearer), with reference to the slimy caps found in many species. Fries (1849) subsequently split the genus into three subgenera: Limacium, Camarophyllus, and Hygrocybe.
Hygrophorus was first published in 1836 by Swedish mycologist Elias Magnus Fries. The genus name is derived from the Greek word "ὑγρὁς" (meaning moist) combined with the suffix "-φόρος" (meaning bearer), referring to the slimy caps of many species. Fries (1849) subsequently divided the genus into three subgenera: Limacium, Camarophyllus, and Hygrocybe.