[4] Cap: 30-100mm, convex to plano-convex, margin inrolled to decurved, viscid, colors mutable with age and exposure – at first yellowish-grey to olive-grey, sometimes mottled lilac-grey, disc darkening to warm brown to rich red-brown with buffer of yellow ochre, scales and patches in center of disc when mature.

Stipe: 35-85mm long, and 8-21mm wide at apex, abruptly bulbous to bulbous, sometimes turnip shaped, colored pale creamy yellow, olive yellow, or bluish tones with abundant cortina remnants; bulb bruises red when handled, particularly on bulb rim.

During field-ID, consider Cortinarius cupreorufus when you are in a mature calcareous conifer forest (in area with soil rich in chalk or limestone) and find a phlegmaciod species that is highly variable in color (tones from olive greens to yellows, redbrown or even purplish red).

An interesting feature sometimes observed in section Laeticolor is a turnip shaped bulb (abrupt rim and triangular base).

Laeticolor means “joyful color” and the species in this section are especially strong and variable with olive-yellow, yellow, red-brown and even purple tones.