Lakatan bananas, also spelled Lacatan, are diploid banana

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

s from the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. It is one of the most common banana cultivars in the Philippines, along with the Latundan and

Saba Saba may refer to: Places * Saba (island), an island of the Netherlands located in the Caribbean Sea * Şaba (Romanian for Shabo), a town of the Odesa Oblast, Ukraine * Sabá, a municipality in the department of Colón, Honduras * Saba (river), ...

bananas. Lakatan bananas should not be confused with the

Cavendish banana Cavendish bananas are the fruits of one of a number of banana cultivars belonging to the Cavendish subgroup of the AAA banana cultivar group. The same term is also used to describe the plants on which the bananas grow. They include commerciall ...

Masak Hijau Masak Hijau bananas are triploid banana cultivars from Malaysia. It is a member of the commercially important Cavendish banana subgroup. It is a popular banana cultivar in Southeast Asia and the West Indies. It is also known widely (and erroneou ...

, which is also known as "Lacatan" in Latin America and the West Indies.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

The Lakatan banana is a diploid ( AA) cultivar. According to Promusa, it is a triploid (AAA) Its official designation is ''Musa acuminata'' (AA Group) 'Lakatan'. Synonyms include: * ''Musa x paradisiaca'' L. ssp. ''sapientum'' (L.) Kuntze var. ''lacatan'' Blanco * ''Musa acuminata'' Colla (Cavendish Group) cv. 'Lacatan' The Cavendish cultivar

is also called "Lacatan" in

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...

and the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greate ...

. The latter is known as "Bungulan" in the Philippines. To avoid confusion, the Philippine Lakatan is usually spelled with a 'k' in botanical literature, while Masak Hijau is usually spelled with a 'c' (Lacatan) or simply called "Jamaican Lacatan". Other common names for the cultivar in Southeast Asia include "Pisang Berangan" in Malaysia; "Pisang Barangan Kuning" and "Pisang Barangan Merah" in

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

; "Kluai Hom Maew" and "Kluai Nga Phaya" in

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

Description

Lakatan typically grows to a height of five to nine feet. The fruits can be harvested 8 to 12 months after planting. Lakatan is susceptible to the

Banana Bunchy Top virus ''Banana bunchy top virus'' (BBTV) is a plant pathogenic virus of the family Nanoviridae known for infecting banana plants and other crops. It is aphid transmitted. Definition Banana bunchy top is a viral disease caused by a single-stranded ...

. Lakatan fruits are longer and thicker-skinned than the Latundan bananas and turn a characteristic yellow-orange when ripe.

Uses

Lakatan is the most popular dessert banana in the Philippines. It is more expensive than the more common Latundan and

Cavendish bananas Cavendish bananas are the fruits of one of a number of banana cultivars belonging to the Cavendish subgroup of the List of banana cultivars#AAA Group, AAA banana cultivar group. The same term is also used to describe the plants on which the banan ...

. Both Latundan and Lakatan, however, are preferred by

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

s over Cavendish. They have higher

β-Carotene β-Carotene is an organic, strongly coloured red-orange pigment abundant in fungi, plants, and fruits. It is a member of the carotenes, which are terpenoids (isoprenoids), synthesized biochemically from eight isoprene units and thus having 40 ...

content than other banana cultivars.

Diseases

Banana bunchy top virus ''Banana bunchy top virus'' (BBTV) is a plant pathogenic virus of the family Nanoviridae known for infecting banana plants and other crops. It is aphid transmitted. Definition Banana bunchy top is a viral disease caused by a single-stranded ...

References

External links