Candelariella vitellina is a common and widespread green-yellow to orange-yellow crustose areolate lichen that grows on rock, wood, and bark, all over the world. It grows on non-calcareous rock, wood, and bark. It often has tiny lobate areoles in the shape of lion claws. The areoles may be flat or convex. Its sexual reproduction structures (apothecia) are a 0.35–1.0 mm-wide disc, darker yellow than the thallus, rimmed with thallus-like tissue lecanorine, flat but becoming convex with age. Lichen spot tests are K+ reddish, KC-, and C-. It produces calycin, pulvinic acid, pulvinic dilactone and vulpinic acid as secondary metabolites.