The prickly globe of a dried flower head that is left after blooming isn't a pod with seeds on the interior, there are lots of individual seeds all over the outside. Were you sent the approximately round globe intact, or did someone pull it apart for you, because it's a painful-to-the-fingertips chore :)

I've had good luck with them sowing outdoors in late Fall in this mild zone: warm moist, cold moist, germinating in late winter/early Srpring when-still-cool moist.

I had about 60 babies and potted up a bunch for our summer swap here in Columbus.

I just read your post about Sea Holly and zoomed in on your picture of the seeds. I am quite certain that this is not Eryngium seed but seed from Echinops. Often people confuse the two plants, one is commonly called Sea Holly (Eryngium species) and the other one is called Globe Thistle (Echinops species). I have cleaned alot of Echinops seed and this is how I know. The seed is the light brown or tan kernel that you found inside the seed. I normally remove the seed from the pod to sow it because it germinates a little faster but it also works if you leave the seed in the pod.

Grow both - they are both great plants. I have several of each and really love them. I don't clean the echinops because I am very allergic to them and their little prickly hairs. Sea holly isn't so hairy, so it's a little better.

It's my understanding that echinops doesn't germinate all that well and many of the kimonos don't germinate. I haven't tried to grow them from seed as they re-seed nicely for me, but others on the winter sowing forum report success, but not that great germination.