THE PRIVET. 



263 



THE BERRIES (Natural Size.) 



FLOWERS AND BERRIES. 



At the extremity of the shoot, and in the axils of the last, or 

 the last two pairs of leaves the flower-buds are produced, and by the 

 middle of May they appear as a spike ot tiny greenish-white clustered 

 buds, while the bush is in full leaf Towards the end of June these 

 small buds expand, and the numerous florets, which consist ot four 

 white-pointed petals, and are set on pale-green pedicels, form an upright 

 raceme resembling a miniature flower-spray of lilac. 



In August the berries though small are clearly noticeable, being 

 club-shaped and of a bright shining green. By the autumn they have 

 become round and black and have attained to the diameter of about 



