It was described as new to science in 1944 by American mycologist Alexander H. Smith, who called it Cortinarius orichalceusvar.olympianusf.luteifolius.[1]
Molecular analysis of the internal transcribed spacer DNA regions demonstrated that this taxon was sufficiently distinct genetically to warrant designation as a species, and it was renamed in 2014 and placed in subgenusPhlegmacium of the Cortinarius genus.[2]
In 2022 the species was transferred from Cortinarius and reclassified as Calonarius luteicolor based on genomic data.[3]
