With reference to the use of betel leaves and areca nuts, consider the following statements : 1. There is no reference to betel leaf in Charak Samhita and Sushruta Samhita. 2. Kalidasa's Raghuvamsha associates the practice of betel leaf chewing with South India. 3. Pattupattu mentions fields of areca plants. Which of the statements given above are correct ?

The statements can be evaluated as follows:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: Both the Charaka Samhita (Sutrasthana, Chapter 5) and Sushruta Samhita (Chikitsasthana, Chapter 24) contain explicit references to Tambula (betel leaf). They recommend chewing it with ingredients like areca nut, cloves, and camphor to maintain oral hygiene and aid digestion.
• Statement 2 is correct: In Kalidasa's Raghuvamsha (Canto IV), while describing King Raghu's southern conquest (Digvijaya), the poet mentions the presence of betel-vines (tambula-valli) and areca palms in the southern coastal regions (Kalinga and Pandya), associating the practice with South India.
• Statement 3 is correct: The Pattupattu (Ten Idylls), a collection of Sangam literature, contains vivid descriptions of the Tamil landscape, including fertile paddy fields and groves of areca plants (known as kamuku in Tamil).

Therefore, statements 2 and 3 are correct, making Option C the right choice.