It is known only from the Watersmeet Valley at Lynton, with two stray plants growing on the coast above Sillery Sands, Countisbury.

[4][5] Although first recognised as a distinct variety in the 1930s (by the botanist E. F. Warburg) because of its strongly lobed leaves, it was only accorded species status in 2009, after various biochemical analyses.

Members of Karpatiosorbus are hybrids of two divergent Malinae taxa that were previously all considered to part of the genus Sorbus.

The holotype is a large tree above scree at Watersmeet in Vice-county 4, North Devon, Grid Ref SS744490; the material studied was collected on 10 October 2007.

[13] As a result of its small range, which is largely confined to North Devon, it has an IUCN conservation assessment of Endangered.