Hello, I harvested this plant last night growing wild in my area (Central New Jersey, US) thinking it was Joe-Pye weed, which I use as hand-drill spindles for friction fire production, but when I compared it to others afterwards noticed significant differences. I thought maybe Horseweed/Marestail... Whatever it is, hopefully nothing "poison"... The stalk has a pithy core to it, and it is light in weight. Any suggestions?
A friend suggested prickly lettuce. After comparing its various properties with photos and videos of prickly lettuce, I am pretty sure that's what it is. I am going to return to the area and see if I can find any with leaves remaining, and that should settle it.
That would not be so stiff and semi-woody - when it dies, it collapses. Perhaps Chicory Cichorium intybus?
Thanks for this suggestion. Hopefully I'll find some a bit more intact when I head back to the place I found this.
I returned to the area tonight but found no exact matches. I did find these, however. They are not as straight, heavier, don't seem as if they have as pithy a core as the other, and not as ridgy along the stalk. Any suggestions? Possibly same plant in different stage of growth?