er strange.
autoflowering means that the plants goes into flowering regardless of light cycle. a certain period of days pass after sprouting and they go into flower on their own under a (recommended) 18/6 light schedule.
do a search on Joint Doctor's Lowryder and you will find the original autoflower genetics.
there are now a few varieties of them made by several seed breeders and some of them seem very interesting.
they are created by breeding Ruderalis (ditch weed) strains with Indicas and Sativas and they seem to produce a surprisingly decent smoke despite their heritage.
i look forward to trying them out in my veg tank soon