A medium-sized pink to reddish-brown, dry-capped cortinarius with a densely squamulose pileus, white to pink-squamulose stipe, serrate gill edges, and large, densely warted spores. Occurs in montane and dry Nothofagus forests. A distinctive species within the NZ cortinarioid flora.

Cap: 25-65 mm diam.; convex‑pulvinate to umbonate to expanded, sometimes subdepressed at centre when mature. Colour pink to reddish‑brown. Surface radially fibrillose, densely covered with concolorous or yellowish‑brown squamules, especially around the centre. Veil remnants absent at the margin. Viscid when wet, otherwise dry. Not hygrophanous.
Lamellae: Emarginate‑adnate, sometimes decurrent with a short tooth. Colour argillaceous, turning rust brown at maturity. Edges concolorous, conspicuously serrate.
Stipe: 25-80 x 6-14 mm (up to 25 mm at base). Equal or tapering toward apex; base often abruptly swollen, marginate, or bulbous, sometimes pestle‑like. Colour white, densely covered with small whitish, pink, or rust‑brown squamules, sometimes forming bands or zones. Surface fibrillose, dry. Hollow at maturity.
Cortina: Absent
Odour/taste: Not distinctive