Ligustrum or ???

Thanks to everyone who replied before on my "what is this" query.  I'm in
the process of tearing out the weeds in a planting strip between my
driveway and the neighbor's fence.  There is some scrub oak but it's mostly
that unidentified berry bush covered with cape ivy and english ivy with a
few himalaya blackberries poking out.  Weed central.

But before I tear out all the berry bushes I want to be certain of the ID.
Several of you said it was privet, ligustrum.  But I've looked at all the
types of privet I can find (including those suggested on this list) and
none match.  I know privet is pretty variable but I don't want to end up
tearing out something I want to keep.

It's not common privet, japanese, chinese, golden, or california.

Here are the pictures again:
http://www.consultclarity.com/gardening/berrybush.html

The bushes are about 4 feet high and wide with dense branches.  It's
definately not a tree but it has a trunk of sorts.  

The berries have been on the bush since Nov at least.  They are 1/4 to 1/2
inch in diameter and shiny deep bluish purple.  They are borne in clusters
at the tips of branches.  Those tips split so that each tip only has 2-3
berries though there can be a cluster of a dozen.  They look nothing like
tree privet berries.  

The berries are purple inside and stain my fingers.  Whatever seed there is
is quite soft and falls apart so easily I can't tell you much about it.  It
seems to be large and maybe it is a group of seeds.  It might be hollow.

The leaves do not look like privet leaves.  They are long and thin (1-2
inches x 1/4-1/2 inches).  New leaves are green but they get purple with
age.  They are opposite in groups of two, except for the tips of branches
which can have up to 4 leaves in a cross shape.  They are evergreen but
there are a lot of bare spots during the winter.

It looks to me like someone planted these bushes on purpose.  They're in a
row and tied back so they don't fall.  I know that even the most invasive
weeds can be sold at garden centers and lovingly cared for, so this doesn't
necessarily mean anything.

I haven't seen this plant in any of my gardening books, including some well
illustrated ones I have on weeds, poisonous plants, California natives,
Mediteranean-climate and drought-tolerant plants, etc.

Anyone know what it is?

Thanks,
Cyndi

_______________________________________________________________________________
Petaluma, California           Zone 9 USDA; Zone 15 Sunset Western Garden Guide
Chemically sensitive/disabled - Organic Gardening only by choice and neccessity
_______________________________________________________________________________
"There's nothing wrong with me.  Maybe there's                     Cyndi Norman
something wrong with the universe." (ST:TNG)                   cyndi@tikvah.com
                                                         http://www.tikvah.com/
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