Lakatan bananas, also spelled Lacatan, are diploidbananacultivars from the Philippines. It is one of the most common banana cultivars in the Philippines, along with the Latundan and Saba bananas.[1]
Lakatan bananas should not be confused with the Cavendish bananaMasak Hijau, which is also known as "Lacatan" in Latin America and the West Indies.
Musa x paradisiaca L. ssp. sapientum (L.) Kuntze var. lacatan Blanco
Musa acuminata Colla (Cavendish Group) cv. 'Lacatan'
The Cavendish cultivar Masak Hijau is also called "Lacatan" in Latin America and the West Indies. 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)[4] or simply called "Jamaican Lacatan".[2] Other common names for the cultivar in Southeast Asia include "Pisang Berangan" in Malaysia; "Pisang Barangan Kuning" and "Pisang Barangan Merah" in Indonesia; "Kluai Hom Maew" and "Kluai Nga Phaya" in Thailand.[5]
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.
Lakatan fruits are longer and thicker-skinned than the Latundan bananas and turn a characteristic yellow-orange when ripe.[6]
Lakatan is the most popular dessert banana in the Philippines. It is more expensive than the more common Latundan and Cavendish bananas. Both Latundan and Lakatan, however, are preferred by Filipinos over Cavendish.
They have higher β-Carotene content than other banana cultivars.[7]
^Hautea, D.M., G.C. Molina, C.H. Balatero, N.B. Coronado, E.B. Perez, M.T.H. Alvarez, A.O. Canama, R.H. Akuba, R.B. Quilloy, R.B. Frankie, C.S. Caspillo (2002-07-19). "Analysis of induced mutants of Philippine bananas with molecular markers". Institute of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, University of the Philippines Los Baños, FAO Corporate Document Repository. Retrieved 12 January 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ abMichel H. Porcher; Prof. Snow Barlow (2002-07-19). "Sorting Musa names". The University of Melbourne. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
^Valmayor, R.V., Espino, R.R.C. and Pascua, O.C. (2002). The Wild and Cultivated Bananas of the Philippines. Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines: PARRFI. p. 242.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
