Question
My Phalaenopsis equistris has bloomed almost continually for many years and one if its keikis has bloomed also. Today an unusual bloom opened on the parent plant.  The reproductive structures are doubled, as well as some but not all of its petals. Is this unusual or common? Also my Paphiopedilum made a seed pod! These are houseplants so there was no pollination---not that the right insects are around, anyway.

Answer
Pat, while it is not commonplace for some, or all, of the flower structures on a flower to double but it happens on many types of orchids. While we tend to think of the orchid as a single entity (as usually it does), each flower is capable of behaving independently of every other flower. It may be that the presence of a blooming keiki has hormonally influenced other flowers in their developmental stage and altered their development in this manner.

With regard to your paph, it sounds like a case of self pollination. This can happen in a number of ways.  The rostellum of an orchid flower is a sterile structure whose function is to prevent contact between the male and female parts of the flower. In some species and hybrids, however, this barrier is shaped so as to be ineffective. It is also possible to inadvertently bump or brush against the flower parts dislodging one or more pollinium causing them to come in contact with the stigmatic (female part) which is sticky and holds the pollen until it germinates causing a seed pod.