Hi reubenjet,
Hopefully someone will recognize it right off and be able to offer an identification. Can you give us an idea of the area (state) where this plant is growing? That could help narrow down a more exact ID. Did you by chance get photos of the leaves and of the entire plant from a distance?
My first thought was possibly a Thistle of some sort but I'm really not sure what it is. The gall looking thing at the top of the stem may be a seedhead/seedpod.
