Nightshade: How deadly is it?

The plant in question is near the base of the Beech tree just east of the white shed near the end of Wagner Road. We did not get into details, it is a solanaceae, or nightshade family.  This one is the bladder cherry,ground cherry, or Chinese lantern group(genus Physalis).

The group as a whole is only mildly toxic if you tolerate potatoes,tomatoes,peppers and eggplant.  The controversy seems to focus on a European atropine containing relative not the North American solanine containing varieties.  The solanine can be avoided by proper ripeness and cooking.  Even potatoes can have toxins when green or improperly stored.

There are illustrations of the lantern turning orange, will be interesting to see if this plant becomes more colorful. Thayer has a long discussion of the benefits of harvesting black nightshade, only one line on ground cherry.  He is a strong advocate of the safety of the black variety.  I am still ambivalent having lived with the "deadly" adjective for so long.  But the last illustration from gardenweb is of a ground cherry pie.

Late October revisited this group, which were dying back. Never got the orange look.  I opened the lantern-like sac and ate 3-4 of the greenish fruits.  Not great, may have needed,like the persimmons, the first frost, but was dying quickly.  Equivocal GI effect.
This was the appearance at that point. No pie.