Ganoderma curtisii is a wood-inhabiting polypore found on hardwoods across the eastern and southeastern United States. The name honors Moses Ashley Curtis, a 19th-century American mycologist. Fruiting occurs from late spring through fall, and this collection was found growing alone at the base of a large Black Oak (Quercus velutina) along a horse trail in an upland Oak–Hickory woodland. The species is saprotrophic and can sometimes be confused with Ganoderma lucidum, though its range and morphological details differ.

The cap is red with hints of yellow near where it connects to the stem, has a slightly shiny surface, and is usually coated in brown spores. The underside is made up of tiny white pores that bruise brown when scratched. The stem is mostly wine red with patches of yellow and lighter red, shinier than the cap, and grows a few inches into the ground, where it’s wrapped in tan-colored mycelium. Inside, the flesh shows three layers: a corky, buff-colored center; a lighter brown zone just beneath the pores; and a darker brown spore tube layer. When chemicals are applied, the surface and inner flesh darken—especially with KOH or ammonia—and under UV light, the stem glows greenish yellow and the pore surface glows pink.