Summary:
Subgenus Phlegmacium. Outstanding characters are the color and color change of the cap and stem, a massive stem, copious yellow cortina, and green corn odor, (Smith(12)). The glutinous cap is soon vinaceous brown, or a brighter reddish brown over the disc. The massive fibrillose stem is olive-yellow, soon becoming dark brown at the base or where handled. Forma aromaticus M.M. Moser, described from OR, differs in odor, having a green-corn odor only when freshly collected, "but when cut or lying around for some time this odor disappeared and became a distinctly aromatic, sweetish odor, mixed fruity and of green apples or even slightly sweetish, spicy (of marjoram)", (Moser(8)). The description of Cortinarius superbus is derived from Smith(12) except where noted. Cortinarius superbus is uncommon.

Cap:
(4)6-12(15)cm across, convex with inrolled margin becoming broadly convex to flat; pale yellowish or with olivaceous cast when young, soon vinaceous brown or a brighter reddish brown over disc, with margin usually remaining yellowish to olivaceous; glutinous when wet, sometimes merely viscid after prolonged rain, more or less fibrillose-streaked under the gluten, gluten often accumulating and drying on the disc in the form of spot-like scales

Flesh:
thick, firm, up to 2cm thick at disc, tapering abruptly near margin, firm; pale yellow ("straw yellow" to "barium yellow"), "chartreuse yellow" in apex of stem, becoming sordid brownish where bruised or cut especially in stem base

Gills:
adnexed, close (about 107 reach stem), 2 tiers of subgills, broad, horizontal, equal, sometimes crisped; "straw yellow" when young, becoming rusty yellow-brown; edges slightly uneven to serrate [saw-toothed]

Stem:
6-9(12)cm x 1-2.5cm at top, club-shaped, up to 4.5cm wide at base, solid; more or less olive-yellow ("pale chalcedony yellow"), soon becoming dark sordid brown at the base or where handled; densely fibrillose from remains of copious yellow cortina, often with a viscid zone near base, usually with an agglutinated dark basal zone of fibrils, apparently caused by gluten dripping from cap or by a rudimentary gelatinous outer veil, (gluten from cap often dripping onto base of stem)

Veil:
copious yellow cortina

Odor:
rather strong and very distinctive, reminding one somewhat of the odor of fresh green corn, (Smith), very strong disagreeable earthy (green corn) odor that is persistent even in dried specimens, but in Oregon a forma aromaticus was collected that had "a green-corn odor only when freshly collected, but when cut or lying around for some time this odor disappeared and became a distinctly aromatic sweetish odor, mixed fruity and of green apples or even slightly sweetish, spicy (of marjoram)" (Moser(8))

Taste:
not distinctive

Microscopic spores:
spores 11-13 x 5.5-7 microns, somewhat almond-shaped, slightly roughened, dark rusty brown under microscope in KOH, [presumably without apical pore]; basidia 4-spored; "pleurocystidia absent but in revived mounts scattered basidia-like cells present having an amorphous reddish to purplish content in KOH", cheilocystidia none; gill trama more or less regular to interwoven; cap trama slightly purplish in KOH, cap surface covered by thick gelatinous pellicle

Spore deposit:
[presumably rusty brown]

Notes:
Cortinarius superbus has been found at least in WA, OR, CA, and WY, (Moser(8)). A Paul Kroeger collection from BC is deposited at the University of British Columbia. It has been sequenced by Liimatainen(2) from BC. Harrower(1) assigned a BC collection sequence 48 to Cortinarius superbus.

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