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Put my glasses back on and, yep, they look like Echinops. Echinops are hairy kimonos with a stick like seed inside. I have never dissected Sea Holly - those are hairy triangles with hairs/spikes on top. 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.

I have grown them all, except maritimum, which belongs to sand dunes. After many years I've found out the only one worth growing is a hybrid with a name Forncett Ultra(from UK). It is reliably perennial, practically indestructable, unless the roots are eaten by something. Eryngium alpinum is very easy to propagate from seeds if you allow it, but big clumps are more succeptible to winter rot than young plants. So they are never really old to make a very big impact, unless you're lucky. Erygnium planum is a terrible flopper, don't waste your time on it(though there is a dwarf cultivar, don't remember the name), it is rather short-lived. Warning though: after many years Forncett Ultra can send some short runners. As far as the ornamental value of the flowers is concerned, none can beat really blue individuals of E.alpinum.

I meant to include this link, if you don't know what sea holly looks like, which I didn't - very exotic. Here is a link that might be useful: