Sphagnum short-lived, and consists almost entirely of a shiny green, spherical spore capsule that becomes black with spores. Sporophytes are raised on stalks to facilitate spore dispersal, but unlike other mosses, "Sphagnum" stalks are produced by the maternal gametophyte. Tetrahedral haploid spores are produced in the sporophyte by meiosis, which are then dispersed when the capsule explosively discharges its cap, called an operculum, and shoots the spores some distance. The spores germinate to produce minute protonemae, which start as filaments, can become thalloid, and can produce a few rhizoids. Soon afterwards, the protonema develops buds and these differentiate into its characteristic,
Bryocella elongata "Terriglobus" and 92.2–92.3% similarity to the type strains of "Telmatobacter bradus" and "Acidobacterium capsulatum". "Bryocella elongata" is an aerobic chemo-organotroph. The growth substrates are sugars and heteropolysaccharides of plant and microbial origin (pectin, lichenan, fucoidan, gellan gum). Type strain "Bryocella elongata" SN10(T) was isolated from a methanotrophic enrichment culture obtained from an acidic "Sphagnum" peat. "Bryocella elongata" is not capable of growth on C(1) compounds, but it can develop in co-culture with exopolysaccharide-producing methanotrophs by utilization of their capsular material. "Bryocella elongata" is an acidophilic, mesophilic bacterium capable of growth at pH 3.2–6.6 (optimum at pH 4.7–5.2) and at 6–32