Cladonia vescula was first formally described by lichenologists Teuvo Ahti, Martin Kukwa, and Adam Flakus in a 2016 scientific study.

The type specimen was collected near Consata village (Larecaja Province, La Paz, Bolivia) at an altitude of 1,240 m (4,070 ft).

The species epithet vescula is derived from the Latin word vesculus ("poor" or "thin"), referring to the small size of the lichen.

The podetia, which are 3–13 mm tall, are slender and often clavate, with a surface that is almost completely ecorticate.

The hymenial discs are sessile on the podetial tips, ranging from dark to pale brown in colour.