Lacatan bananas (also spelled Lakatan), are diploid banana cultivars from the Philippines. It is one of the most common banana cultivars in the Philippines, along with the Latundan and Saba bananas.^[1]

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

The Lacatan banana is a diploid (AA) cultivar.^[2]

Its official designation is Musa acuminata (AA Group) ‘Lacatan’.

Synonyms include:

• Musa x paradisiaca L. ssp. sapientum (L.) Kuntze var. lacatan Blanco
• Musa acuminata Colla (Cavendish Group) cv. ‘Lacatan’

The banana cultivar Masak Hijau (Musa acuminata Colla (AAA Group) cv. ‘Masak Hijau’) is also called ‘Lacatan’ in Latin America and the West Indies. To distinguish them from the Philippine Lacatan, they are called ‘Jamaican Lacatan’. See Masak Hijau.^[2][3]

Description

Lacatan typically grow to a height of five to nine feet. The fruits can be harvested 8 to 12 months after planting.^[4] Lacatan is susceptible to the Banana Bunchy Top virus.

Lacatan fruits are longer and thicker-skinned than the Latundan bananas and turn a characteristic yellow-orange when ripe.^[5][6]

Uses

Lacatan is the most popular dessert banana in the Philippines. It is more expensive than the more common Latundan and Cavendish bananas. Both Latundan and Lacatan, however, are preferred by Filipinos over Cavendish.^[5]

They have higher β-Carotene content than other banana cultivars.^[7]

Diseases

• Banana Bunchy Top Virus