A striking, medium-sized violet-stiped, brown-capped cortinarius, notable for its tall stature, glutinous pileus, deep violet lamellae, and coarsely ornamented spores. One of the most colourful Cortinarius species in New Zealand.

Cap: 50-100 mm diam.; convex to pulvinate to expanded, sometimes with a low umbo. Surface glutinous, weakly or not hygrophanous. Colour date‑brown, becoming pale tan toward the margin; young caps warm pale purple‑brown. Margin sometimes violaceous, later striate.
Lamellae: Attachment emarginate‑adnate. Colour deep saturated violet, edges even deeper violet. Becoming brownish with age but retaining violet tones in young material.
Stipe: Cylindrical, tall and stiff, sometimes with a small rounded bulb. Surface glutinous. Colour lilac‑violet, paler at apex and base. Flesh violet, later paler with yellowish areas, whitish near the base.
Veil: Hyaline with a violet tinge, copious.
Cortina: Greyish.
Context: Violet, later paler with yellow patches; whitish near stipe base. Odour none; taste none.
Odour/taste: None