Success!!! Here is a photo of my Carlina acaulis seedlings. The cold stratification apparently was the key to success. I planted about 10 seeds and 6 germinated. After a particularly cold and rainy night, 3 perished and 3 survived. When these guys get a bit bigger, I will repot them into larger and deeper containers. I'll then get to see if they will grow in the heat and humidity here in the summer. I will protect them from torrential summer rain by moving them under the patio. The good thing is that I learned how to get them to germinate and it only took 2 seasons.