God created the lesser celandine - however,
He forgot the goat.
Which is why the herb greens and sprouts,
but in vain,
because no one comes,
who enjoys it.
(An epitome of a missed life.)

Karl Heinrich Waggerl

In earlier times, lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) was added to salads or spinach as the first green of spring. Because of its high vitamin C content, it was used to prevent scurvy (= scurvy).
The flower buds and bulbils (brood buds) were also preserved in vinegar and added to numerous dishes as a flavourful caper-like ingredient. The bulbils lie on the ground in large quantities after flowering and are known as sky bread or sky barley.

Even today, the use of lesser celandine should not be avoided in spring, as it can be used as an imaginative addition to the diet, as can the use of tender ground ivy leaves, young dandelion leaves or fresh goutweed leaves. However, as with the use of many other wild herbs, care should be taken when consuming large quantities.

If you know something about a plant or animal, it is easier to remember its characteristics and name. Such "supporting knowledge" has therefore been added to the descriptions of the species in "Der neue Kosmos Tier- und Pflanzenführer" (published by STICHMANN-MARNY, U.).

For further reading:
Further interesting information on the biology of wild and cultivated plants in Germany can be found in the book by: DÜLL, R. and H. KUTZELNIGG (1994): Botanisch-ökologisches Exkursionstaschenbuch. Heidelberg, Wiesbaden (Quelle und Meyer).

WAGGERL, K. H. (1985). Cheerful herbarium. Flowers and verses. Salburg: Müller.

KATTMANN, U. (2001). Not just smoke and mirrors - dealing with names in biology lessons. IDB Münster, 10, 87-98.