This species is recognised from other species close to C. calochrous by the clearly yellow veil and bulb surface in combination with the very yellow cap and brownish (not red) alcaline reaktion.

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[Cortinarius calochrous can be viewed as a very variable t species with yellow cap, broadly marginate bulb, more or less lilac gills and coarsly ornamented spores. Within this variation however it is possible to distinguish several entities differing in base reactions, spore size and cap colour. The status of these are however uncertain at present, and finding the right names for these is another task. The naming here istherefore rather uncertain]

C. calochrous var. parvus, C. rickenianus and C. sodagnitus are clearly as much part of this complex as other taxa, but can be separated more easily.