The type material was collected in 1990, near the Haast Pass crossing the Makarora River. The specific epithet makarorae refers to the type locality. P. makarorae is classified in Gastón Guzmán's section Mexicanae owing to the spore shape and bluing reaction upon injury. It is distinguished from other species in this section by the size of the caps, the presence of pleurocystidia, and the short-necked cheilocystidia.