Usually, at least for me, I never really bother to find out exactly what something is. If goldenrod can make an arrow, then most things will
(or at least in my way of thinking
). As for striaghtening, just gather some shafts, debark then and cut them to length, then everyday go over them with a hard stick to "rub the bends out", stating at the back and striaghtening the arrow from there. Tip gleaned from Ken Wee's articles in the first few PA's
and John McPherson's article on Primitive arrows in a more recent PA. They're easier to striaghten (especially bigger shafts) and tend to stay striaghter.
A good arrows worth a hundred good bows
.