It is only known from a small area near the border between South Australia and Victoria.

Gastrodia vescula is a leafless terrestrial, mycotrophic herb that has a very thin, brittle pale brown flowering stem 50–200 cm (20–80 in) tall with up to three, mostly drooping, smooth light brown flowers.

[2][3][4] Gastrodia vescula was first formally described in 1991 by David Jones from a specimen collected in a nature reserve near Mount Gambier in 1988.

[5] The specific epithet (vescula) is a Latin word meaning "little" or "trifling"[6] referring to the habit of this orchid.

[3] The small potato orchid is only known from small area in the far southeast of South Australia and far western Victoria where it grows in dense, heathy forest.