Help can anyone identify this fern. I live in South Georgia and this I found in an old Oak tree crotch (where debris gathers) with a resurrection fern. It faces East and so far the leaves are wide and at least 2 feet tall. It has grown 3 new leaves since I got a piece off the tree.

From the looks of it, it looks like a 'Bear's Paw Fern' or Phelbodium. I can't really tell from your photo's but it looks like it has developed short rhizomes that creep along and are a golden brown color as they age with the newer growth being a light straw color. I'm not sure how it ended up in your tree, but if it was happy there and survived your cold spells, then it must like it there.

I'm a little late answering your post KurtMN but my computer had a bad virus and spent a few days getting it to talk again. Here is what the Ag. agent here said it was Kino fern Kino (Phymatosorus grossus - Polypodiaceae) native to the Marshall Islands Hawaii . I will look up the bear paw and see what it says about it but the rhizomes are the right color but a foot long including the gold old growth and the light straw color. Guess I'll now do some more reading.

There isn't any we can find anywhere within a mile of this one and it is growing in the fork of an oak tree. The Kino isn't supposed to like this area either. Here is a piece I left in the tree to watch this winter. Thanks for the shout back. The separate fronds grow to 3 feet long..

It reminds me of Cabbage Palm Fern (Phlebodium aureum) Georgia and Florida are in it's range: http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bi...

More images: http://regionalconservation.or...

plant ladylyn.. sorry for the length of time in answering but illness has kept me busy. I looked at your pictures and you appear to be right in the Golden Polypody Fern so I will take it back to the extension office and ask her again.
here is a pic. of it as it is now coming out and thank you for your response
The piece in the tree (frond died) in last freeze but the rest is still viable and I kept mine protected from freeze.