I was under the impression that all variegation is caused by fungus or virus. The only way to be sure you keep the strain is to keep cuttings. Sorry

Bessie
It's not the case that all variegation is caused by virus or fungus ... the variegation where the leaves are streaked or spotted is usually viral. Other variegation is not caused by virus and at least a percentage of seedlings may also show variegation so it is worth your while saving some seeds to try them. I could list a number of variegated plants which come true from seed, so give it a go !
G_P

Variegation in the true sense of the word is not viral. Variegation is caused by certain genes in the dividing cells of plant tissue switching off and on. When you have a plant with lateral (lenthwise) variegation, the white or yellow area is where the meristematic tissue at the edge/tip of the growth (leaf or otherwise) stopped producing green chlorophyll, and all the celles that divided at that point on the leaf were from that original cell/group of cells, leading to a well-defined, straight, unbroken streak of white/yellow (like variegated spider plant). You see, leaves do not grow from the base, but from the tip and edges, so any time an anomaly arises at any tip dividing cell (or meristem) the cells that are produced from that cell will all have the same anomoly, leading to a line of anomalous cells. Viral "variegation" is actually color break, and generally appeatrs as highly irregular streaking, brushing, and necrotic tissue. Other forms of true varietgation include mottling (which is just different pigments in differend areas of the tissue, sometimes layeres of color), teselation/veining (water and/or fat soluble pigments or color compounds clump together along veins), and spotting (another case of pigments appearing at certain points on the tissue). CJM:)

G_P and CJM

In your opinion should I allow this plant to cross polinate or should I put a nylon stocking over it so it doesn't pollinate?

Thank you for your infomation.

Bessie

in my opinion, you should polinate it with its own pollen,
that way you should get some plants like it, and maybe some more mutants[but i dont know if it's to late yet]

In cases where variegation can be passed onto the offspring, it is usually passed on through from the mother plant. I do not think it will matter if the plant is selfed or cross-pollinated. Save the seed from that particular plant.

How do you pollinate celosia cristata (cockscomb)? I've never seen any pollen. Where does the pollen form? How can it be pollinated with itself?

I saw your e-mails about cocks comb plants and wondered if you know how to dry them and if it can be done successfully. Will they hold their color when dried?

Native Seeds/Search says tha cockscomb, like amaranth, was domesticated as a grain by native Americans in Mexico.
I know it is wind pollinated and somewhat self-pollinated.
It is possible that you will be more varigated plants. It is also possible you will get segregation of normal and albino seedlings.
Let us know what you get.
Walter