hmmm... then why do you need to turn the lights on for a good 10 minutes every night for a good 10-14 days in order to hermie a plant?

Consider this, if you were growing at night would the stars and moon create a pitch black atmosphere? No...
My guess would be to stress it into confusion about what season it is, and to attempt to pollinate itself as a last survival-of-its-genes effort.
I'm sure you know much more about this than I, but I must add that I've read my theory a bunch of times in different guides.

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