Lesser celandine, Ranunculus ficaria
The young leaves in spring can be used raw or cooked as a potherb.
The first leaves in spring make an excellent salad.
The leaves, stalks and buds can be used like spinach, whilst the blanched stems are also eaten.
The leaves turn poisonous as the fruit matures. Caution is advised, all parts of the plant are poisonous. The toxins are unstable and of low toxicity, they are easily destroyed by heat or by drying.
Bulbils - cooked and used as a vegetable. The bulbils are formed at the leaf axils and also at the roots.
The flower buds make a good substitute for capers.
It is widely used as a remedy for piles and is considered almost a specific. An infusion can be taken internally or it can be made into an ointment and used externally.
It is also applied externally to perineal damage after childbirth. Some caution is advised because it can cause irritation to sensitive skins.
The plant often forms dense carpets when grown in the shade and can therefore be used as a ground cover though they die down in early summer. This should be done with some caution, however, since the plant can easily become an unwanted and aggressive weed in the garden.