Cortinarius orellanus was first described by Swedish mycologist Elias Magnus Fries in his 1838 book Epicrisis Systematis Mycologici seu Synopsis Hymenomycetum.

[3] Cortinarius orellanus occurs in central and eastern Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia), though is rare in Germany.

[4] In 1997, four people suffered renal toxicity after mistaking C. orellanus for the edible and prized chanterelle in Austria, where wild mushroom picking is popular.

[6] One important feature of Cortinarius orellanus's natural history is its toxicity, which is linked to the presence of orellanine, a strong nephrotoxin.

The research publications provide strong evidence for this claim, especially the one by Judge et al. (2010) that describes cases of chronic renal failure brought on by consumption of orellanine-containing Cortinarius mushrooms.

Ingestion of a newly described North American mushroom species from Michigan resulting in chronic renal failure: Cortinarius orellanosus.